The heads of state of Australia, Canada and New Zealand have issued a joint statement calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
Anthony Albanese, along with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, issued a joint statement on Friday afternoon.
“The situation in Gaza is catastrophic,” the statement said.
“The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot go on.”
The trio said they remained “unequivocal” in their condemnation of Hamas for the “atrocities of October 7 and ongoing acts of terror.”
They call on Hamas to “lay down its weapons” and release all hostages. The three politicians also declare that Hamas will play “no role” in the future government of the Gaza Strip.
Palestinian health authorities recently said that Israel's sustained ground and air strikes in the Gaza Strip have killed more than 39,000 people since October last year.
Most of the fatalities are believed to be civilians. 2.3 million people had to leave their homes and seek shelter in emergency shelters.
Mr Albanese, Mr Luxon and Mr Trudeau call on Israel to “listen to the concerns of the international community”.
“The protection of civilians is the highest priority and is a requirement of international humanitarian law,” the statement said.
“The Palestinian civilian population must not have to pay the price for the victory over Hamas. This must stop.”
“An immediate ceasefire is urgently needed.
“Civilians must be protected and there must be a sustained increase in aid deliveries throughout the Gaza Strip to improve the humanitarian situation.”
The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas fighters crossed the border into Israeli communities, killing 1,200 people and capturing 253 Gazans.
The statement by the Australian, New Zealand and Canadian leaders came after US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to a ceasefire.
United States leaders met with Mr Netanyahu at the White House on Thursday, where Mr Biden reportedly told the Israeli president he needed to “compromise to achieve peace”.
“We fully support the comprehensive ceasefire agreement outlined by President Biden and endorsed by the UN Security Council,” Albanese, Trudeau and Luxon said in the statement.
“We call on the parties to the conflict to accept the agreement. Any delay will only lead to more lives being lost.”
“We are determined to work towards an irreversible path to achieving a two-state solution in which Israelis and Palestinians can live safely within internationally recognized borders.”
The trio said this was the only “realistic” way to achieve peace.
They called on Israel to respond to the International Court of Justice's opinion and to ensure accountability for the ongoing violence committed by extremist settlers against the Palestinian population. They also called on Israel to reverse the record expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank and to work towards a two-state solution.
They expressed their “serious concern” about the possibility of further escalation throughout the region.
“We condemn the Iranian attack on Israel on April 13 and 14, call on Iran to refrain from further destabilizing actions in the Middle East, and demand that Iran and its allied groups, including Hezbollah, cease their attacks,” they said.
“We also condemn the Houthis’ continued reckless actions, including their indiscriminate drone strikes in Tel Aviv and ongoing attacks on international shipping.”
The trio said they were “particularly concerned” about the escalating hostilities between the terrorist group Hezbollah and Israel, which had led to the displacement of thousands of Israelis.
“This escalation of hostilities only makes a ceasefire in Gaza more urgent,” they said.
“We call on all actors involved to exercise restraint and de-escalate the situation. We support diplomatic efforts to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
“A larger-scale war would have catastrophic consequences for Israel and Lebanon, as well as for civilians throughout the region.”
