Wong criticises Israel's conduct in Gaza in closed-door meeting with Israeli ambassador
Wong's Thursday meeting with Amir Maimon was requested by the Israeli embassy, according to federal government sources, and took place inside Wong's office at Parliament House in Canberra.
The meeting was held days after Australia joined 27 other countries in condemning Israel for denying humanitarian aid to Palestinians.
At the time, Wong said the decision to sign the statement reflected the 'concern' and 'distress' Australians felt from seeing the images of starving Palestinians in Gaza.
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The Thursday discussion followed another meeting between Maimon and lower-level foreign affairs officials in Canberra earlier in the week, as reported by the Nine Newspapers.
Australian sources said Wong repeated her public criticism of Israel's conduct in Gaza during the meeting with Maimon. This included a request for Israel to comply with international law and ensure enough food was being provided to Palestinians.
Wong's office declined to comment on the meeting, and the Israeli embassy has been contacted for comment.
Before both meetings took place, the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, accused Israel of 'clearly' breaching international law and said Benjamin Netanyahu's government was 'losing support' internationally.
After those comments, Wong said: 'It is forbidden to withhold aid from civilians, that is not consistent with international law, but actually, just as importantly, it's morally the wrong thing to do.'
Earlier in the week, a select group of journalists attended a briefing at the Israeli embassy where Israel's deputy ambassador, Amir Meron, reportedly said: 'We don't recognise any famine or any starvation in the Gaza Strip.'
In response, Albanese said that statement was 'beyond comprehension' and raised concerns about Israel restricting journalists from visiting the war-torn Palestinian territory.
Dozens of Palestinians have died of hunger in recent weeks in a crisis attributed by the UN and other humanitarian organisations to Israel's blockade of almost all aid into the territory.
Two Israeli-based rights groups this week declared that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza, with reports citing evidence including the weaponisation of hunger. B'tselem described an 'official and openly declared policy' of mass starvation.
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On Wednesday, Australia joined 14 other countries in describing the recognition of Palestine as 'an essential step towards the two-state solution', linking progress on statehood to the upcoming United Nations general assembly meeting in September.
But Albanese also criticised calls for further actions against Israel as 'slogans' as he faced intensifying pressure from his MPs, Labor members and the Greens to reconsider his position on the war and humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
He has so far stopped short of matching his UK counterpart Keir Starmer's promise to recognise the state of Palestine in September unless Israel abides by a ceasefire and commits to a two-state solution.
'What I've said is that it's not the timeline, that's not what we're looking at. What we're looking at is the circumstances where recognition will advance the objective of the creation of two states,' Albanese said on Wednesday, a day before Wong met Maimon.
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The Independent
38 minutes ago
- The Independent
Family condemns Hamas video showing emaciated Israeli hostage inside Gaza
The family of Israeli hostage Evyatar David, held by Hamas in Gaza since their bloody attack in Israel on 7 October 2023, has accused the group of deliberately starving him as part of a "propaganda campaign". The family statement came after Hamas released a video showing an emaciated Mr David in a narrow concrete tunnel. "We are forced to witness our beloved son and brother, Evyatar David, deliberately and cynically starved in Hamas's tunnels in Gaza – a living skeleton, buried alive," the family statement said. The hostage's family also urged the Israeli government and the world community to do "everything possible to save Evyatar". Hamas released its second video in two days of Mr David over the weekend. In it, Mr David, who is very thin, is shown digging a hole, which, he says in the video, is for his own grave. Mr David is heard saying: "I haven't eaten for days... I barely got drinking water" "They are on the absolute brink of death," David's brother Ilay said at a rally in support of the hostages in Tel Aviv on Saturday, where thousands gathered holding posters of those in captivity and chanted for their immediate release. "In the current unimaginable condition, they may have only days left to live." Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa'ar said the "world cannot remain silent in the face of the difficult images that are the result of deliberate sadistic abuse of the hostages, which also includes starvation". Donald Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, has told families of hostages that he was working with the Israeli government on a plan that would effectively end the war in Gaza. Trump has made ending the conflict a major priority of his administration, though negotiations have faltered. Mr Witkoff is visiting Israel as its government faces mounting pressure over the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in the enclave. In a recording of the meeting, reviewed by Reuters, Mr Witkoff is heard saying: "We have a very, very good plan that we're working on collectively with the Israeli government, with Prime Minister Netanyahu ... for the reconstruction of Gaza. That effectively means the end of the war." Mr Witkoff also said that Hamas was prepared to disarm in order to end the war, though the group has repeatedly said it will not lay down its weapons. In response, Hamas, which has dominated Gaza since 2007, said it would not relinquish "armed resistance" unless an "independent, fully sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital" was established. Indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel aimed at securing a 60-day ceasefire in the Gaza war and deal for the release of half the hostages ended last week in deadlock. Mr Witkoff, who arrived in Israel with Benjamin Netanyahu's government facing a global outcry over the devastation in Gaza and the starvation growing among its 2.2 million people, met the prime minister on Thursday. Afterwards, a senior Israeli official said an understanding between Israel and Washington was emerging that there was a need to move from a plan to release some of the hostages to a plan to release all the hostages, disarm Hamas and demilitarise the Gaza Strip, echoing Israel's key demands for ending the war. On Tuesday, Qatar and Egypt, who are mediating ceasefire efforts, endorsed a declaration by France and Saudi Arabia outlining steps toward a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. As part of it, they said Hamas must hand over its arms to the Western-backed Palestinian Authority. The crisis in Gaza has also prompted a string of Western powers to announce they may recognise a Palestinian state. On Friday, Witkoff visited a U.S.-backed aid operation in southern Gaza, which the United Nations has partly blamed for deadly conditions in the enclave, saying he sought to get food and other aid to people there. Dozens have died of malnutrition in recent weeks after Israel cut off all supplies to the enclave for nearly three months from March to May, according to Gaza's health ministry. It said on Saturday that it had recorded seven more fatalities, including a child, since Friday. Israel blames Hamas for the suffering in Gaza and says it is taking steps for more aid to reach its population, including pausing fighting for part of the day in some areas, air drops and announcing protected routes for aid convoys. UN agencies have said that airdrops of food are insufficient and that Israel must let in far more aid by land and quickly ease the access to it. The Gaza war began when Hamas killed more than 1,200 people and took 251 hostage in an attack on southern Israel on 7 October 7, 2023. Israel's offensive has since killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials. According to Israeli officials, 50 hostages now remain in Gaza, only 20 of whom are believed to be alive.
Telegraph
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There can be no peace until the murderous, thieving overlords of Hamas are driven from Gaza
Despite calls from the Arab League to disarm, Hamas says it refuses to do so until an independent Palestinian state is established. By that the terrorist group means it will never disarm, because it knows that no Palestinian state will ever be established. Certainly not the state they envisage, which is a far cry from the two-state solution that Starmer, Macron and Carney seem to have in mind. Hamas want a one-state solution, an Islamic State encompassing the entirety of Israel, Gaza and the West Bank. Hence their slogan 'from the river to the sea', mouthed incessantly on university campuses and the streets of our cities by uncomprehending hordes. Hamas's founding charter demands the annihilation of Israel and the death of Jews everywhere. Despite a cosmetic 'revision' and English language statements made to fool Westerners, this has never been repudiated and remains their unwavering goal. The leadership of Hamas are vicious, bloodthirsty terrorists, many of them multi millionaires enriched by decades stealing aid meant for the people of Gaza. But they are far from being fools. They understand that Israel will never surrender to them and they will never have the military power to drive the Israelis out. Their best shot was 7th October 2023, which was supposed to be supported by an invasion by Hezbollah from the north and backed by rocket fire from Iran's other 'ring of fire' terrorist proxies. They murdered, raped, tortured, kidnapped and burned but failed to achieve what they intended. Instead their actions drove Gaza to ruin and decimated their own fighting strength. But they will fight on fanatically for as long as they are physically able to do so. Hamas is a miniature version of Al Qaida. Like Hamas, Bin Laden sought an Islamic caliphate, but on a global scale. And like Hamas, he didn't expect to achieve it in his life-time or even for generations. He saw his role as killing, destruction and economic damage. The purpose was to demoralise the West and 'apostate' Muslim regimes, creating strife and division around the world until eventually the caliphate would be established. Hamas and Iran's other regional proxies have a similar intent, though the ayatollahs in Tehran sought to speed things up by developing nuclear weapons. Although their tactics and public-facing rhetoric are different, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah party have pretty much the same objective as Hamas. That's why the US State Department recently sanctioned them for funding and supporting terrorism and inculcating violent jihad into their population. Israel has no choice but to continue to suppress terrorism in the West Bank, in which Hamas is also heavily involved, to prevent the territory going the way of Gaza. Likewise in Gaza itself there is no political solution; Hamas can be dealt with only by military destruction. 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At the same time they have perverted international law to paint Israel as the oppressors and those who oppose them as the victims. That has led to Hamas intensifying and developing their human shield tactics knowing Israel will be branded baby-killers. That is also why Hamas, in cahoots with the UN, have weaponised hunger in Gaza leading to a successful propaganda campaign falsely accusing Israel of yet more war crimes. This, often disgracefully utilising photographs of young children suffering from unrelated genetic medical conditions to falsely show starvation, is among the most powerful levers applied to push Keir Starmer into his recent actions against Israel. After visiting Gaza, US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff confirmed yesterday that 'There is hardship and shortage, but no starvation'. The shameful truth is that Starmer, Macron and Carney do have sufficient insight into the same reality as Witkoff, but lack the moral courage to stand up against the hurricane of lies about starvation, unlawful killing and the other trumped up charges against Israel. In each case their priority is to appease the anti-Israel mobs among their own electorates. Their eyes are not on aiding an ally under pressure or the dire consequences at home of encouraging jihadism abroad, but on the ballot boxes.
The Guardian
38 minutes ago
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Family of Israeli hostage held in Gaza accuses Hamas of starving him
The family of an Israeli hostage held in Gaza said that Hamas is starving him after the release of a video in which he appeared emaciated and weak. The footage, released on Saturday, shows Evyatar David speaking in what appeared to be a Hamas tunnel in Gaza. In scenes that have caused outrage and dismay in Israel, he is shown digging what he says could be his own grave. In comments made under duress, he urges the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to agree to a ceasefire. 'Today is 27 July, at 12:00 pm, I don't know what I'm going to eat. I haven't eaten for a few days in a row,' David says in a weak, slurred voice. He walks away from the camera, revealing his emaciated body. 'Time is running out. You are the only ones who can end this,' he says, in what appear to be comments directed at Israel's leadership. Hamas captured David at the Nova music festival in southern Israel on 7 October 2023, the day Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people and captured around 250 hostages. He is one of 49 hostages still held by Hamas, 22 of whom are thought to still be alive. The family of David released a statement responding to the video, accusing Hamas of starving David for propaganda. 'We are forced to witness our dear son and brother Evyatar being deliberately and cynically starved in Hamas's tunnels in Gaza – a living skeleton buried alive. Our son has only a few days left to live in his current condition,' the family said. They called for humanitarian aid that enters Gaza to be allowed to reach David and urged the US and Israeli governments to do everything possible to secure his release. Gaza is in the throes of famine, with mass starvation on the rise. Israeli officials have said Hamas is deliberately starving its captives. The video was released as the US envoy, Steve Witkoff, visited Israel to discuss a ceasefire in Gaza. He met the families of some hostages on Saturday, and told them Washington was pushing for a comprehensive end to the war that would include the release of all hostages. 'We now need to bring all of them home. We are very close to ending the war,' he said, according to a statement released by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum. Netanyahu' office said on Saturday that he had spoken to the families of David and another hostage, Ron Braslavski, who was pictured in a video released on Friday. Thousands of people rallied in Tel Aviv on Saturday night to call for the release of the hostages. Relatives of some of the hostages erected a protest camp surrounded by razor wire and displayed pictures of those still held captive. They sat in the middle of the encampment, which they said symbolised the imprisonment of their loved ones. They called for an end to the war in Gaza, with some accusing Netanyahu of prolonging the war to save his governing coalition. 'This is the time for a comprehensive deal and an end to the war. No more delays. No more leaving them behind. Stop this nightmare and bring them out of the tunnels and home,' the families said in their statement. Ceasefire negotiations collapsed two weeks ago, when the US and Israel accused Hamas of not negotiating in good faith. Hamas has denied the accusation and countered that Israel was stalling. Pressure on Israel to agree to a ceasefire is mounting, as the international community reacts in horror at the growing famine in Gaza, which has killed 175 people, including 93 children. The aid community blames Israel's blockade on aid into Gaza for their starvation, a claim Israel has denied. In response to the stalling ceasefire efforts, Netanyhu had suggested alternatives to his cabinet, including a renewed offensive on Gaza in a redoubled effort to defeat Hamas. Witkoff denied there was any plan for a further offensive, telling the families of hostages on Saturday that Hamas said that it was ready to disarm. In a statement, Hamas later vowed not to demilitarise 'as long as the occupation exists.' Some 60,500 people have been killed in Gaza during Israel's military campaign there over the last 21 months, according to Gaza's health ministry.
