‘Children are starving': Albanese criticises Israel over aid distribution in Gaza

The Age

4 days ago

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has lamented the starvation of children in Gaza and demanded Israel comply with international law to allow aid trucks in but stopped short of joining France in recognising a Palestinian state.
Pictures have emerged this week showing children facing life-threatening malnutrition in the enclave that has continuously come under attack from Israel as a response to the massacre of more than 1200 people by Hamas in Israel in October 2023.
'Tens of thousands of civilians are dead, children are starving,' Albanese said in a statement.
'Gaza is in the grip of a humanitarian catastrophe,' he said. 'Israel's denial of aid and the killing of civilians, including children, seeking access to water and food cannot be defended or ignored.
'We call on Israel to comply immediately with its obligations under international law,' he said. 'This includes allowing the United Nations and NGOs to carry out their lifesaving work safely and without hindrance.'
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The Israel and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is distributing aid from limited sites in the territory but hundreds of Palestinians have been killed trying to access food from its locations.
On Tuesday, Israeli prime minister's office spokesman David Mencer denied there was a 'famine created by Israel' in Gaza and blamed Hamas for creating 'man-made shortages' by looting aid trucks.
Albanese said every innocent life matters, whether Israeli or Palestinian; condemned Hamas; called for the release of hostages held by the terror group; and urged the sides to commit to a ceasefire.