Australians want action on Gaza as rally verdict looms
The NSW Supreme Court is due to hand down a decision on Saturday morning after a bid by NSW Police to halt thousands of anticipated protesters marching across the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
The demonstrations slated for Sunday aim to highlight what the United Nations has described as "worsening famine conditions" in Gaza.
They have garnered support from activists nationwide, human rights and civil liberties groups as well as several MPs and public figures such as former Socceroo Craig Foster.
In solidarity with their interstate peers, protesters in Melbourne are gearing up to rally through the city's CBD, aiming to reach the King Street Bridge.
A last-minute application on Friday was also lodged to police by a pro-Israel fringe group for a counter-protest in the tunnel under Sydney Harbour, the court heard.
Police confirmed to AAP the group withdrew the application soon after.
Respondents to a YouGov poll published on Friday and commissioned by the Australian Alliance for Peace and Human Rights believed Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's condemnations of Israel had fallen short.
"While the government has recently signed a statement calling for an immediate ceasefire, 61 per cent of Australians believe this is not enough," the alliance said.
"(Australians) want to see concrete economic, diplomatic and legal measures implemented."
The alliance called for economic sanctions and the end of any arms trade with Israel, which the federal government has repeatedly said it has not engaged in directly.
The poll surveyed 1507 Australian voters in the last week of July, coinciding with a deteriorating starvation crisis and while diplomatic efforts from countries such as Canada have ramped up.
Some 42 per cent of polled coalition voters supported stronger measures and more than two thirds of Labor voters, 68 per cent, are pushing their party to be bolder in placing pressure on Israel.
An overwhelming number of Greens voters (91 per cent) wanted a more robust suite of measures as did 77 per cent of independent voters.
The results highlighted how the nearly two-year long war on Gaza had resonated with Australians, YouGov director of public data Paul Smith said.
"This poll shows there's clearly across the board support for the Australian government to be doing much more in response to the situation in Gaza," he told AAP.
"Sixty-one per cent shows the depth of feeling Australians have towards this issue."
More than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed including more than 17,000 children, according to local health authorities, with reports of dozens of people dead in recent weeks due to starvation.
Israel's campaign began after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, reportedly killing 1200 people and taking 250 hostages.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
West Australian
9 minutes ago
- West Australian
Australian news and politics live: Australia has ‘clear- eyed' approach toward China amid foreign interference
Scroll down for the latest news and updates. Foreign Minister Penny Wong has stated that the Australian government remains 'very clear-eyed' about China in light of recent events involving foreign interference. This comment comes after a Chinese national and Australian permanent resident was charged in the ACT Magistrates Court on Monday. The woman is accused of being tasked by the People's Republic of China to investigate a Buddhist religious group operating in Australia. While Senator Wong declined to comment specifically on the case and when repeatedly asked if she trusted China following these reports, Ms Wong responded with, 'I can't comment on this specific case that's before the courts. But good try,' she told Nine on Tuesday morning. She went on to clarify Australia's position regarding China: 'I think we all are very clear eyed about China and its interests. We've made that clear. The question is, how do we manage that? And dialogue and engagement is part of it. It doesn't eliminate differences, but it does enable us to put our views.'
Sky News AU
9 minutes ago
- Sky News AU
'Die is cast': Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders full occupation of Gaza strip despite objections within IDF, global pleas to end war
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered Israeli military to expand operations in all remaining areas of the Gaza strip, marking a dangerous escalation in the war after failed ceasefire talks last week. Netanyahu is due to seek cabinet backing this week for the bold plan to occupy the Gaza strip, despite strong objections from the IDF, urging the PM to seek alternative war methods. The Times of Israel reported senior official close to the premier have been quoted in Ynet saying, 'The die is cast — we are going for a full occupation of the Gaza Strip.' 'There will be operations even in areas where hostages are being held. If the IDF chief of staff doesn't agree, he should resign." The Israeli military currently hold operations in about 75 per cent of the Gaza strip, but under the Israeli leader's new plan, the IDF would capture the rest of the besieged enclave, including where the hostages are believed to be held in captivity. Several ministers have reportedly quoted Netanyahu using the term 'occupation of the Strip' in private conversations while describing his vision for the expansion of military operations in Gaza, which would essentially bring the entire strip under Israeli control, The Times of Israel further reported. The fresh update on the Israeli Prime Minister's plans for next steps in Gaza comes following the collapse of indirect ceasefire talks with Hamas, with one senior Israeli source suggesting more force could be an option. While some in the political leadership are pushing for expanding the offensive, the military is concerned that doing so will endanger the 20 hostages who are still alive, the officials said. Israeli Army Radio reported on Monday that military chief Eyal Zamir has become increasingly frustrated with what he describes as a lack of strategic clarity by the political leadership, concerned about being dragged into a war of attrition with Hamas militants. A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) declined to comment on the report but said that the military has plans in store. "We have different ways to fight the terror organization, and that's what the army does," Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani said. On Tuesday, Qatar and Egypt endorsed a declaration by France and Saudi Arabia outlining steps toward a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which included a call on Hamas to hand over its arms to the Western-backed Palestinian Authority. Hamas has repeatedly said it won't lay down arms. But it has told mediators it was willing to quit governance in Gaza for a non-partisan ruling body, according to three Hamas officials. It insists that the post-war Gaza arrangement must be agreed upon among the Palestinians themselves and not dictated by foreign powers. Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar suggested on Monday that the gaps were still too wide to bridge. "We would like to have all our hostages back. We would like to see the end of this war. We always prefer to get there by diplomatic means, if possible. But of course, the big question is, what will be the conditions for the end of the war?" he told journalists in Jerusalem.
SBS Australia
13 minutes ago
- SBS Australia
Netanyahu to pitch plan to end Gaza war
Listen to Australian and world news, and follow trending topics with SBS News Podcasts . TRANSCRIPT Israel's Prime Minister to convene cabinet to discuss Gaza war goals. The Netherlands becomes the first NATO nation to buy US weapons for Ukraine. And in cricket, India claims fifth Test against England to draw the series. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he will convene his cabinet later this week to instruct Israel's military on how to defeat Hamas and free the hostages in Gaza. It comes as new images of emaciated Israeli hostages held in Gaza have horrified Israelis and added pressure on Mr Netanyahu to reach a ceasefire with Hamas. The videos led tens of thousands of Israelis to take to the streets on Saturday night and demand a ceasefire deal, in one of the largest turnouts for the weekly protests in recent months. The father of hostage Rom Braslavski, Ofir, says as a parent it breaks his heart to see his son in such a poor state of health. "You see your child, nothing much to add, you see your child dying before your eyes and you can't do anything. It drives you crazy, it's unbearable, there's nothing you can do. It's hard, very hard." According to Israeli officials, 50 hostages now remain in Gaza, with 20 believed to be alive. The Netherlands has become the first NATO country to contribute to a new mechanism to supply Ukraine with American weapons. The country will contribute close to A$895 million to purchase United States military equipment for Ukraine. The Dutch weapons purchase will include missiles and components of the Patriot missile defence system. President Donald Trump said last month the U-S would provide weapons to Ukraine, paid for by European allies, but he did not provide details on how this would work. NATO says it will coordinate the new initiative, which is funded by European members of the alliance and Canada and will be divided into packages worth approximately A$773 million. US ambassador to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, says the contribution from the Netherlands is only the beginning. "The Dutch are just the first of many. You're going to see a series of announcements in the coming weeks. You know, when we announced this facility that allowed our NATO allies to buy US equipment and provide that to Ukraine for their defence, you know, we had a lot of our allies raise their hand and line up. A lot of them are coming together in groups to pool their money and their resources together to provide those armaments and munitions." Multicultural communities in the Northern Territory joined the celebration of the last day of the Garma festival in the northeast Arnhem land. The four-day event covers national discussion on First Nations affairs with politicians and community leaders and ends with cultural performances. Maria Jamarillo is a Northern Territory resident originally from Colombia. She told SBS Arabic that attending the Garma festival has been a learning experience. "Garma for me is all about learning, it's about cultural exchange, it's so beautiful to see people from all over Australia or even international coming together and celebrating here the oldest culture in the world, so it's really amazing to experience it every year." A new report into Queensland's forensic science lab has found victims of sexual assault have to wait for over a year to get their rape kits tested. The report, led by Dr Kirsty Wright, also found that since 2023, Forensic Science Queensland had provided unreliable DNA results to police and courts. "At the moment, the median time for the lab to process major crime cases, sexual assaults, rapes, murders, it's about 420 days. Victims are waiting over a year for their rape kits to be tested. In other jurisdiction, that's taking five to ten days." The state government has announced a new expert team to overhaul the organisation. Former New South Wales Police Commission Mick Fuller will lead the team. In cricket, India took the last four wickets in under an hour to bowl England out for 367 and win an astonishing fifth and final test by six runs to draw the series 2-all. Fast bowler Mohammed Siraj was India's hero, dismissing Jamie Smith and Jamie Overton before bowling Gus Atkinson to end the match. Chris Woakes had walked out to bat wearing a sling to protect his dislocated shoulder with 17 runs still needed, and Atkinson hit Siraj for six to give England hope. Atkinson tried to protect Woakes from strike but Siraj produced another brilliant yorker to earn India a dramatic win. India Test captain, Shubman Gill, says it has been rewarding completing his first Test series as captain. "I think Test cricket should be as it is. It's, in my opinion, it is the most rewarding and satisfying format. You work the hardest to be able to get a win, and the best thing about this format is it always gives you a second chance, which none of the other formats give. So, if you keep working hard, if you keep doing the right things, there is always a second chance. So, in my opinion, this is the most rewarding and satisfying format. I don't think there should be any changes made to this format."
