ABC fails to reveal the truth about infamous Gazan child photo on air
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West Australian
15 hours ago
- West Australian
Albanese condemns Israel's Gaza takeover plan and calls humanitarian crisis ‘unacceptable'
Anthony Albanese has declared it is 'completely unacceptable' for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza to continue, as his senior ministers say Israel's plans to occupy the territory would breach international law. The Prime Minister is in New Zealand meeting his counterpart Christopher Luxon for talks that included a discussion of international moves towards recognising the state of Palestine. Australia joined with the New Zealand, the UK, Germany and Italy to issue a foreign ministers statement on Saturday saying they 'strongly reject' the Israeli security cabinet's decision to launch a fresh military operation in Gaza, warning that it would 'aggravate the catastrophic humanitarian situation, endanger the lives of the hostages, and further risk the mass displacement of civilians'. Mr Albanese said Australia would make its own decisions in terms of the timing of recognition and the possibility of further sanctions. 'We called for an immediate ceasefire. We called for the release of hostages and we called for the unimpeded entry of aid into Gaza,' he told reporters in New Zealand on Sunday. 'We have a humanitarian catastrophe unfolding there. And the idea that it can just be continued is completely unacceptable.' Asked whether Australia would impose further sanctions on Israel beyond those already laid against two of its far-right ministers, Mr Albanese said his government would act where it could make a difference, not in response to 'a slogan on a protest'. Defence Minister Richard Marles echoed the calls for the return of the Israeli hostages and for the flow of aid into Gaza to resume, saying both aims would be helped by a ceasefire. 'All of that is best advanced, in terms of the return of hostages, but also in terms of the flow of humanitarian assistance, if hostilities cease now,' he told ABC's Insiders. 'The blocking of food, the blocking of humanitarian assistance, is a breach of international law, and we are obviously deeply concerned about Israel's role in that and it's why we are really clearly calling for an end to hostilities right now and adding our voice to that of the international community.' Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said pointing out the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe should not be seen as making excuses for Hamas or having sympathy towards the terrorist group. But he said Israel's plans to fully occupy Gaza would be a breach of international law. 'And if they start doing what they've been doing with the West Bank and have settlers move in, that's a further illegal action under international law,' he told Sky News. 'What we are watching is horrific, and Australia, with that statement yesterday, where we're joining with other nations and just saying this must not happen.' His shadow minister Andrew Hastie, a former special forces officer, said Israel's plans were 'a very risky proposition' that was likely to result in more military casualties and the prolonging of the humanitarian crisis. 'Certainly, I look at the weight of history, and Gaza has never successfully been occupied and pacified by Israel. So I'm not sure why we expect it to be any different now under Benjamin Netanyahu,' he told Sky News. 'I think we've just got to temper this with realism.' He said it was 'possible' the planned occupation would breach international law.
ABC News
15 hours ago
- ABC News
Liberals walk tightrope between debate and division as net zero threatens to derail rebuild
"I probably won't win this argument," federal Liberal frontbencher Andrew Hastie told ABC Radio Perth on Tuesday. It was a rare admission from a politician — the idea their view, no matter how hard they campaign for it, might not be the winning argument. Hastie was speaking about his views on the Liberals' seemingly unending internal wrestle over climate policy, which is subject to yet another review. "It's unpopular, but let me say this … we went to the last two elections, '22, '25, with net zero, OK? We went to the election committed to net zero, and so no one's actually really challenged it," he said. "We're going through a process, but you asked me, I'm giving you an honest answer. "I mean, people are sick and tired of politicians just hiding their light, I'm just speaking with you plainly." Speaking plainly and adding even more fuel to the already fiery debate which is shaping as still new leader Sussan Ley's biggest challenge. Another senior WA Liberal, Senator Michaelia Cash, advocated for a similar approach during the week too. "Standing on principle — calmly, respectfully and consistently — is how we win trust," she wrote in The West Australian. "It's how we reconnect with Australians who want honesty, not spin." Hastie has certainly not been hiding his views on net zero, telling Four Corners in May he wanted the party's commitment to Australia reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 reconsidered. The target comes from the Paris Agreement — which Australia signed along with more than 170 countries in 2016 — which aims to limit the effects of climate change by keeping global warming to no more than 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels. Last month, Hastie was also one of few public supporters of a motion approved by the Liberals' WA State Council to abandon the target. "We're being taxed to subsidise all these renewable projects chasing these climate targets, and so all I'm asking is for consistency," he explained again this week. "If you really want to limit carbon then we should stop exporting 25 per cent of the world's coal to places like China and India. "We should stop exporting 20 per cent of the world's gas to places like Japan and South Korea and China and India. It's created tension with WA Liberal leader Basil Zempilas, who said he supported the "status quo" of the net zero target — a position which prompted Hastie to email his supporters he was "disappointed" in his colleague's position. Naturally, it's prompted criticism of the party's disunity — an issue which has dogged the Liberals in recent years. But is publicly hashing out internal policy debate inherently a bad thing? Veteran political journalist, Peter Kennedy, said debate was not the same as disunity — a distinction which he believed had been lost over time. "Debate is a very healthy thing, and over the years it has led to significant improvement," he said. "But if you stifle debate then the chances of, sort of, arguing the pluses and minuses of both sides are just diminished and you'll invariably end up with an inferior policy." Kennedy said history was littered with examples of politicians debating policy in an ultimately healthy way. "The uranium debate in the Labor Party in the 70s, 80s and 90s, that was ferocious, absolutely ferocious," he said. "In more recent times you had the debate when John Howard wanted to introduce the goods and services tax and took great political risk and won the day. "But these days, if a politician wanted to do something like that, they'd say well, you'd be writing your own political requiem, it would be the end of your career. "There's an old saying in politics that disunity is death, and generally it's not positive for a political party, but you can say disunity is one thing, but healthy political debate is another." Working out which side of the line a particular battle falls on is the challenge. "If you can't govern yourselves, you can't govern the country," was Bob Hawke's catchphrase to highlight the Liberals' disunity at the 1987 election. That's the biggest challenge for both Sussan Ley and Basil Zempilas as they rebuild shattered parties. Labor's significant political success in recent years, both in WA and federally, is often attributed, at least in part, to the party's public-facing unity, as well as offering popular, centrist policies. Productive and genuine policy debate will almost certainly be helpful, and even necessary, for the Liberals to work out how to turn their principles into a different suite of policies to take to voters. But that is very different to stoking divisions and wounds within the party in the interests of undermining the leadership of Ley, or anyone else. One will put them within striking distance of winning back government. The other will leave them in the wilderness for even longer.
The Advertiser
16 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Tens of thousands rally in Tel Aviv against Gaza plan
An estimated 100,000 protesters have taken to the streets of Tel Aviv to oppose Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plan to escalate the nearly two-year Gaza war, demanding an immediate end to the campaign and for the release of the hostages. A day earlier, the prime minister's office said the security cabinet, a small group of senior ministers, had decided to seize Gaza City, expanding military operations in the devastated Palestinian territory despite widespread public opposition and warnings from the military the move could endanger the hostages. "This isn't just a military decision. It could be a death sentence for the people we love most," Lishay Miran Lavi, the wife of hostage Omri Miran told the rally, pleading to US President Donald Trump to intervene to immediately end the war. Public opinion polls show an overwhelming majority of Israelis favour an immediate end to the war to secure the release of the remaining 50 hostages held by militants in Gaza. Israeli officials believe about 20 hostages are still alive. The Israeli government has faced sharp criticism at home and abroad, including from some of its closest European allies, over the announcement that the military would expand the war. Most of the hostages who have been freed so far emerged as a result of diplomatic negotiations. Talks toward a ceasefire that could have seen more hostages released collapsed in July. "They (the government) are fanatic. They are doing things against the interests of the country," said Rami Dar, 69-year-old retiree, echoing calls for Trump to force a deal for the hostages. Tel Aviv has seen frequent rallies urging the government to reach a ceasefire and hostage deal with Hamas, who ignited the war with their October 2023 attack. Saturday's demonstration attracted over 100,000 protesters, according to organisers. "Frankly, I'm not an expert or anything, but I feel that after two years of fighting there has been no success," said Yana, 45, who attended the rally with her husband and two children. "I wonder whether additional lives for both sides, not just the Israelis but also Gazans, will make any difference." Around 100, mostly Israelis, were killed and 251 were taken into Gaza during Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. More than 400 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since then. Protesters waved Israeli flags and carried placards bearing the images of hostages. Others held signs directing anger at the government or urging Trump to take action to stop Netanyahu from moving forward with plans to escalate the war. A small number of protesters held images of Gazan children killed by the military. Israel's military has killed more than 61,000 Palestinians in the war, according to the Gazan health ministry, which said on Saturday that at least 39 had been killed in the past day. An estimated 100,000 protesters have taken to the streets of Tel Aviv to oppose Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plan to escalate the nearly two-year Gaza war, demanding an immediate end to the campaign and for the release of the hostages. A day earlier, the prime minister's office said the security cabinet, a small group of senior ministers, had decided to seize Gaza City, expanding military operations in the devastated Palestinian territory despite widespread public opposition and warnings from the military the move could endanger the hostages. "This isn't just a military decision. It could be a death sentence for the people we love most," Lishay Miran Lavi, the wife of hostage Omri Miran told the rally, pleading to US President Donald Trump to intervene to immediately end the war. Public opinion polls show an overwhelming majority of Israelis favour an immediate end to the war to secure the release of the remaining 50 hostages held by militants in Gaza. Israeli officials believe about 20 hostages are still alive. The Israeli government has faced sharp criticism at home and abroad, including from some of its closest European allies, over the announcement that the military would expand the war. Most of the hostages who have been freed so far emerged as a result of diplomatic negotiations. Talks toward a ceasefire that could have seen more hostages released collapsed in July. "They (the government) are fanatic. They are doing things against the interests of the country," said Rami Dar, 69-year-old retiree, echoing calls for Trump to force a deal for the hostages. Tel Aviv has seen frequent rallies urging the government to reach a ceasefire and hostage deal with Hamas, who ignited the war with their October 2023 attack. Saturday's demonstration attracted over 100,000 protesters, according to organisers. "Frankly, I'm not an expert or anything, but I feel that after two years of fighting there has been no success," said Yana, 45, who attended the rally with her husband and two children. "I wonder whether additional lives for both sides, not just the Israelis but also Gazans, will make any difference." Around 100, mostly Israelis, were killed and 251 were taken into Gaza during Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. More than 400 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since then. Protesters waved Israeli flags and carried placards bearing the images of hostages. Others held signs directing anger at the government or urging Trump to take action to stop Netanyahu from moving forward with plans to escalate the war. A small number of protesters held images of Gazan children killed by the military. Israel's military has killed more than 61,000 Palestinians in the war, according to the Gazan health ministry, which said on Saturday that at least 39 had been killed in the past day. An estimated 100,000 protesters have taken to the streets of Tel Aviv to oppose Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plan to escalate the nearly two-year Gaza war, demanding an immediate end to the campaign and for the release of the hostages. A day earlier, the prime minister's office said the security cabinet, a small group of senior ministers, had decided to seize Gaza City, expanding military operations in the devastated Palestinian territory despite widespread public opposition and warnings from the military the move could endanger the hostages. "This isn't just a military decision. It could be a death sentence for the people we love most," Lishay Miran Lavi, the wife of hostage Omri Miran told the rally, pleading to US President Donald Trump to intervene to immediately end the war. Public opinion polls show an overwhelming majority of Israelis favour an immediate end to the war to secure the release of the remaining 50 hostages held by militants in Gaza. Israeli officials believe about 20 hostages are still alive. The Israeli government has faced sharp criticism at home and abroad, including from some of its closest European allies, over the announcement that the military would expand the war. Most of the hostages who have been freed so far emerged as a result of diplomatic negotiations. Talks toward a ceasefire that could have seen more hostages released collapsed in July. "They (the government) are fanatic. They are doing things against the interests of the country," said Rami Dar, 69-year-old retiree, echoing calls for Trump to force a deal for the hostages. Tel Aviv has seen frequent rallies urging the government to reach a ceasefire and hostage deal with Hamas, who ignited the war with their October 2023 attack. Saturday's demonstration attracted over 100,000 protesters, according to organisers. "Frankly, I'm not an expert or anything, but I feel that after two years of fighting there has been no success," said Yana, 45, who attended the rally with her husband and two children. "I wonder whether additional lives for both sides, not just the Israelis but also Gazans, will make any difference." Around 100, mostly Israelis, were killed and 251 were taken into Gaza during Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. More than 400 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since then. Protesters waved Israeli flags and carried placards bearing the images of hostages. Others held signs directing anger at the government or urging Trump to take action to stop Netanyahu from moving forward with plans to escalate the war. A small number of protesters held images of Gazan children killed by the military. Israel's military has killed more than 61,000 Palestinians in the war, according to the Gazan health ministry, which said on Saturday that at least 39 had been killed in the past day. An estimated 100,000 protesters have taken to the streets of Tel Aviv to oppose Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plan to escalate the nearly two-year Gaza war, demanding an immediate end to the campaign and for the release of the hostages. A day earlier, the prime minister's office said the security cabinet, a small group of senior ministers, had decided to seize Gaza City, expanding military operations in the devastated Palestinian territory despite widespread public opposition and warnings from the military the move could endanger the hostages. "This isn't just a military decision. It could be a death sentence for the people we love most," Lishay Miran Lavi, the wife of hostage Omri Miran told the rally, pleading to US President Donald Trump to intervene to immediately end the war. Public opinion polls show an overwhelming majority of Israelis favour an immediate end to the war to secure the release of the remaining 50 hostages held by militants in Gaza. Israeli officials believe about 20 hostages are still alive. The Israeli government has faced sharp criticism at home and abroad, including from some of its closest European allies, over the announcement that the military would expand the war. Most of the hostages who have been freed so far emerged as a result of diplomatic negotiations. Talks toward a ceasefire that could have seen more hostages released collapsed in July. "They (the government) are fanatic. They are doing things against the interests of the country," said Rami Dar, 69-year-old retiree, echoing calls for Trump to force a deal for the hostages. Tel Aviv has seen frequent rallies urging the government to reach a ceasefire and hostage deal with Hamas, who ignited the war with their October 2023 attack. Saturday's demonstration attracted over 100,000 protesters, according to organisers. "Frankly, I'm not an expert or anything, but I feel that after two years of fighting there has been no success," said Yana, 45, who attended the rally with her husband and two children. "I wonder whether additional lives for both sides, not just the Israelis but also Gazans, will make any difference." Around 100, mostly Israelis, were killed and 251 were taken into Gaza during Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. More than 400 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since then. Protesters waved Israeli flags and carried placards bearing the images of hostages. Others held signs directing anger at the government or urging Trump to take action to stop Netanyahu from moving forward with plans to escalate the war. A small number of protesters held images of Gazan children killed by the military. Israel's military has killed more than 61,000 Palestinians in the war, according to the Gazan health ministry, which said on Saturday that at least 39 had been killed in the past day.
