Stronger Gaza rhetoric ahead of Palestine recognition
The recognition of statehood comes after increasingly stronger language by the federal government against Israel for blocking aid and breaching international law since the war started on October 7, 2023, after designated terror group Hamas launched an attack on Israel.
PALESTINE
* October 26, 2023: "We continue to support Palestinian aspirations for a state of their own and consider a two-state solution".
* January 16, 2025: "We hope (a ceasefire) will allow the Palestinian people the opportunity to rebuild, reform their governance and pursue self-determination".
* July 25, 2025: "The reason a two-state solution remains the goal of the international community is because a just and lasting peace depends upon it".
* July 31, 2025: "Recognition of the state of Palestine is a matter of when - not if".
* August 4, 2025: "Everybody understands that there is a risk that there will be no Palestine left to recognise unless the international community work together towards two states".
* August 11, 2025: "Australia will recognise the right of the Palestinian people to a state of their own predicated on the commitments Australia has received from the Palestinian Authority".
AID
* December 13, 2023: "Safe and unimpeded humanitarian access must be increased and sustained".
* July 26, 2024: "Sustained increase in the flow of assistance throughout Gaza is needed to address the humanitarian situation".
* July 25, 2025: "Israel's denial of aid and the killing of civilians, including children, seeking access to water and food cannot be defended or ignored".
* July 27, 2025: "Quite clearly it is a breach of international law to stop food being delivered, which was a decision that Israel made in March. It's a breach of decent humanity and of morality, and everyone can see that."
CIVILIANS
* October 26, 2023: "We are concerned at the humanitarian situation in Gaza and call on all actors to ensure the provision of humanitarian supplies to populations in need".
* December 13, 2023: "Civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected ... the price of defeating Hamas cannot be the continuous suffering of all Palestinian civilians".
* February 15, 2024: "With the humanitarian situation in Gaza already dire, the impacts on Palestinian civilians from an expanded military operation would be devastating. We urge Israel not to go down this path".
* July 26, 2024: "The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue".
* July 25, 2025: "Every innocent life matters. Every Israeli. Every Palestinian".
* August 11, 2025: "The situation in Gaza has gone beyond the world's worst fears. Far too many innocent lives have been lost."
CEASEFIRE
* October 26, 2023: "We call for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages".
* December 13, 2023: "Support urgent international efforts towards a sustainable ceasefire ... Hamas must release all hostages, stop using Palestinian civilians as human shields and lay down its arms".
*January 16, 2025: "Australia welcomes the announcement of a ceasefire and hostage agreement in Gaza ... We urge all parties to respect its terms and safeguard a lasting peace".
* July 25, 2025: "An immediate ceasefire is needed desperately".
* August 11, 2025: "A two-state solution is humanity's best hope to break the cycle of violence in the Middle East and to bring an end to the conflict, suffering and starvation in Gaza".
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9 News
6 minutes ago
- 9 News
Funeralgoers call to protect journalists after Israel's 'targeted assassination'
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here Hundreds of people, including many journalists, have gathered to mourn two Al Jazeera correspondents and other journalists killed in a targeted Israeli airstrike. The Qatari network called the deaths of Anas al-Sharif, fellow Al Jazeera correspondent Mohamed Qreiqeh and four other reporters a "targeted assassination" and accused Israeli officials of incitement, connecting al-Sharif's death to the allegations that both the network and correspondent had denied. "Anas and his colleagues were among the last remaining voices from within Gaza, providing the world with unfiltered, on-the-ground coverage of the devastating realities endured by its people," it said in a statement. Palestinians carry the body of Al Jazeera correspondent Anas al-Sharif, who, along with other journalists, was killed in an Israeli airstrike, during his funeral outside Gaza City's Shifa hospital complex, Monday, August 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi) It was the first time during the 22-month war that Israel's military swiftly claimed responsibility after a journalist was killed in a strike. Observers have called this the deadliest conflict for journalists in modern times. "I never hesitated for a single day to convey the truth as it is, without distortion or falsification," the 28-year-old wrote. On Monday, the bodies lay wrapped in white sheets at the Shifa Hospital complex as mourners gathered. Ahed Ferwana of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate said reporters were being deliberately targeted and urged the international community to act. Al-Sharif began reporting for Al Jazeera a few days after war broke out. He was known for reporting on Israel's bombardment in northern Gaza, and later for the starvation gripping much of the territory's population. In a July broadcast, al-Sharif cried on air as a woman behind him collapsed from hunger. "I am talking about slow death of those people," he said at the time. This undated recent image, taken from video broadcast by the Qatari-based television station Al Jazeera, shows the network's Arabic-language Gaza correspondent, Anas al-Sharif, reporting on camera in Gaza. (Al Jazeera via AP) Press advocates said an Israeli "smear campaign" stepped up after footage of the broadcast went viral. Both Israel and hospital officials in Gaza City confirmed the deaths of al-Sharif and colleagues, which the Committee to Protect Journalists and others described as retribution against those documenting the war in Gaza. Israel's military asserted that al-Sharif had led a Hamas cell — an allegation that Al Jazeera and al-Sharif previously dismissed as baseless. The strike also killed four other journalists and two other people, Shifa Hospital administrative director Rami Mohanna told The Associated Press. The strike damaged the entrance to the hospital complex's emergency building. The airstrike came less than a year after Israeli army officials first accused al-Sharif and other Al Jazeera journalists of being members of the militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad. In a July 24 video, Israel's army spokesperson Avichay Adraee attacked Al Jazeera and accused al-Sharif of being part of Hamas' military wing. Palestinians inspect the destroyed tent where journalists, including Al Jazeera correspondents Anas al-Sharif and Mohamed Qureiqa, were killed by an Israeli airstrike outside the Gaza City's Shifa hospital complex Monday, August 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi) Qreiqeh, a 33-year-old Gaza City native, is survived by two children. Both journalists were separated from their families for months earlier in the war. When they managed to reunite during the ceasefire earlier this year, their children appeared unable to recognise them, according to video footage they posted at the time. The Committee to Protect Journalists said on Sunday it was appalled by the airstrike. "Israel's pattern of labeling journalists as militants without providing credible evidence raises serious questions about its intent and respect for press freedom," Sara Qudah, the group's regional director, said in a statement. Al Jazeera reporter Anas al-Sharif in Gaza. (Al Jazeera) Apart from rare invitations to observe Israeli military operations, international media have been barred from entering Gaza for the duration of the war. Al Jazeera is among the few outlets still fielding a big team of reporters inside the besieged strip, chronicling daily life amid airstrikes, hunger and the rubble of destroyed neighborhoods. Al Jazeera is blocked in Israel and soldiers raided its offices in the occupied West Bank last year, ordering them closed. The network has suffered heavy losses during the war, including 27-year-old correspondent Ismail al-Ghoul and cameraman Rami al-Rifi, killed last summer, and freelancer Hossam Shabat, killed in an Israeli airstrike in March. Like al-Sharif, Shabat was among the six that Israel accused of being members of militant groups last October. Al-Sharif's message was published on his Instagram account after his death. (Instagram) Al-Sharif's death comes weeks after a UN expert and the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said Israel had targeted him with a smear campaign. Irene Khan, the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression, on July 31 said that the killings were "part of a deliberate strategy of Israel to suppress the truth, obstruct the documentation of international crimes and bury any possibility of future accountability". The UN human rights office on Monday condemned Sunday's airstrike targeting the journalists' tent "in grave breach of international humanitarian law". The Committee to Protect Journalists said on Sunday that at least 186 journalists had been killed in Gaza, and Brown University's Watson Institute in April said the war was "quite simply, the worst ever conflict for reporters". Israel Hamas Conflict Israel Gaza World Middle East Palestine War journalist media CONTACT US Auto news: Honda here to stay in Australia, announces growth plans.
News.com.au
16 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Gazans mourn Al Jazeera staff killed by Israel
Gazans gathered on Monday for the funeral of five Al Jazeera staff members and a sixth reporter killed in an Israeli strike, with Israel calling one of them a "terrorist" affiliated with Hamas. Dozens stood amid bombed-out buildings in the courtyard of Al-Shifa hospital to pay their respects to Anas al-Sharif, a prominent Al Jazeera correspondent aged 28, and four of his colleagues, killed on Sunday. A sixth journalist, Mohammed Al-Khaldi who worked as a freelance reporter, was also killed in the strike that targeted the Al Jazeera team, according to the director of Al-Shifa Hospital, Dr Mohammed Abu Salmiya. Their bodies, wrapped in white shrouds with their faces exposed, were carried through narrow alleys to their graves by mourners including men wearing blue journalists' flak jackets. Israel confirmed it had targeted Sharif, whom it labelled a "terrorist" affiliated with Hamas, saying he "posed as a journalist". Al Jazeera said its employees were hit in a tent set up for journalists outside the main gate of a hospital in Gaza City. The four other staff members killed were Mohammed Qreiqeh, also a correspondent, and cameramen Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal and Moamen Aliwa. "Anas Al-Sharif served as the head of a terrorist cell in the Hamas terrorist organisation and was responsible for advancing rocket attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF (Israeli) troops," the military said in a statement. "The IDF had previously disclosed intelligence information and many documents found in the Gaza Strip, confirming his military affiliation to Hamas," it said. It published a graphic showing what it said was a list of Hamas operatives in northern Gaza, including Sharif's name, as well as an image of him emblazoned with the word: "Eliminated". It also published a list it said showed Sharif had been paid $200 by Hamas after an injury, as well as a list it said was a Hamas battalion's phone directory that included Sharif's number. Sharif was one of the channel's most recognisable faces working on the ground in Gaza, providing daily reports on the now 22-month-old war. - 'One of the bravest' - A posthumous message, written in April in case of his death, was published on his account on Monday morning saying he had been silenced and urging people "not to forget Gaza". According to local journalists who knew him, Sharif had worked at the start of his career with a Hamas communication office, where his role was to publicise events organised by the militant group that has exercised total control over Gaza since 2006. Following online posts by Israel's Arabic-language military spokesman Avichay Adraee on Sharif, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called in July for his protection, accusing Israel of a "pattern" of labelling journalists militants "without providing credible evidence". It said the Israeli military had levelled similar accusations against other journalists in Gaza earlier in the war, including other Al Jazeera staff. "International law is clear that active combatants are the only justified targets in a war setting, so unless the IDF can demonstrate that Anas al-Sharif was still an active combatant, then there is no justification for his killing," Jodie Ginsberg, CPJ's chief executive, told AFP. AFP has contacted the Israeli military for comment. Al Jazeera called the attack that killed Sharif "a desperate attempt to silence voices exposing the Israeli occupation", as it described Sharif as "one of Gaza's bravest journalists". It also said it followed "repeated incitement and calls by multiple Israeli officials and spokespersons to target the fearless journalist Anas Al Sharif and his colleagues". Reporters Without Borders says nearly 200 journalists have been killed in the war so far. International reporters are prevented from travelling to Gaza by Israel, except on occasional tightly controlled trips with the military. The strike on the journalists came with criticism mounting over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to expand the war in the Gaza Strip. - 'We will win' - The security cabinet voted last week to conquer the remaining quarter or so of the territory not yet controlled by Israeli troops, including much of Gaza City and Al-Mawasi, the area designated a safe zone by Israel where huge numbers of Palestinians have sought refuge. The plan, which Israeli media reported had triggered bitter disagreement between the government and military leadership, drew condemnation from protesters in Israel and numerous countries, including Israeli allies. Notably, the plans caused Germany, a major weapons supplier and staunch ally, to suspend shipments to Israel of any arms that could be used in Gaza. Australia said it would join a growing list of Western nations in recognising a Palestinian state. Despite the diplomatic reversals, Netanyahu remained defiant. "We will win the war, with or without the support of others," he told journalists on Sunday. - 'Another calamity' - The United Nations and humanitarian agencies have condemned the planned expansion. "If these plans are implemented, they will likely trigger another calamity in Gaza," UN Assistant Secretary General Miroslav Jenca told the Security Council on Sunday. UN agencies warned last month that famine was unfolding in the territory, with Israel severely restricting the entry of aid. Israel's offensive has killed at least 61,430 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry, figures the United Nations says are reliable. Hamas's October, 2023 attack on Israel, which triggered the war, resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
The Advertiser
20 minutes ago
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Strikes on Gaza escalate after vow to expand offensive
Palestinians have reported the heaviest bombardments in weeks in areas east of Gaza City, just hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he expected to complete a new expanded offensive in the enclave "fairly quickly". An airstrike also killed six journalists, including prominent Al Jazeera correspondent Anas Al Sharif, in a tent at a Gaza hospital compound. Witnesses said Israeli tanks and planes pounded Sabra, Zeitoun, and Shejaia, three eastern suburbs of Gaza City in the north of the territory, on Monday, pushing many families out of their homes westwards. Some Gaza City residents said it was one of the worst nights in weeks, raising fears of military preparations for a deeper offensive into their city. According to Palestinian militant group Hamas, the area is now sheltering about one million people after the displacement of residents from the enclave's northern edges. The Israeli military said its forces fired artillery at Hamas militants in the area. There was no sign on the ground of forces moving deeper into Gaza City as part of the newly approved Israeli offensive, which is not expected to begin in the coming weeks. "It sounded like the war was restarting," said Amr Salah, 25. "Tanks fired shells at houses, and several houses were hit, and the planes carried what we call fire rings, whereby several missiles landed on some roads in eastern Gaza," he told Reuters via a chat app. The Israeli military said its forces on Sunday dismantled a launch site east of Gaza City, which Hamas used to fire rockets towards Israeli communities across the border. Netanyahu on Sunday said he had instructed the Israeli military to speed up its plans for the new offensive. "I want to end the war as quickly as possible, and that is why I have instructed the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) to shorten the schedule for seizing control of Gaza City," he said. Netanyahu on Sunday said the new offensive will focus on Gaza City, which he described as Hamas' "capital of terrorism". He also pointed to a map and indicated that the coastal area of central Gaza may be next, saying Hamas militants have been pushed there too. The new plans have raised alarm abroad. On Friday, Germany, a key European ally, announced it would halt exports of military equipment to Israel that could be used in Gaza. Britain and other European allies urged Israel to reconsider its decision to escalate the Gaza military campaign. Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, told Reuters some countries appeared to be putting pressure on Israel rather than on Hamas, whose deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, ignited the war. The airstrike that killed Al Jazeera's Anas Al Sharif and four of his colleagues at Al Shifa Hospital was the deadliest for journalists in the conflict so far and was condemned by journalists and rights groups. Medics at the hospital said local freelancer Mohammad Al-Khaldi had also died in the attack, raising the number of dead journalists from the same strike to six. Al Sharif had previously been threatened by Israel, which confirmed it had targeted and killed him, alleging he had headed a Hamas cell and was involved in rocket attacks against Israel. Al Jazeera rejected the claim, and before his death, Al Sharif had also rejected Israeli allegations he had links to Hamas. Hamas, which runs Gaza, linked his killing to the new planned offensive. "The assassination of journalists and the intimidation of those who remain pave the way for a major crime that the occupation is planning to commit in Gaza City," it said. Palestinians have reported the heaviest bombardments in weeks in areas east of Gaza City, just hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he expected to complete a new expanded offensive in the enclave "fairly quickly". An airstrike also killed six journalists, including prominent Al Jazeera correspondent Anas Al Sharif, in a tent at a Gaza hospital compound. Witnesses said Israeli tanks and planes pounded Sabra, Zeitoun, and Shejaia, three eastern suburbs of Gaza City in the north of the territory, on Monday, pushing many families out of their homes westwards. Some Gaza City residents said it was one of the worst nights in weeks, raising fears of military preparations for a deeper offensive into their city. According to Palestinian militant group Hamas, the area is now sheltering about one million people after the displacement of residents from the enclave's northern edges. The Israeli military said its forces fired artillery at Hamas militants in the area. There was no sign on the ground of forces moving deeper into Gaza City as part of the newly approved Israeli offensive, which is not expected to begin in the coming weeks. "It sounded like the war was restarting," said Amr Salah, 25. "Tanks fired shells at houses, and several houses were hit, and the planes carried what we call fire rings, whereby several missiles landed on some roads in eastern Gaza," he told Reuters via a chat app. The Israeli military said its forces on Sunday dismantled a launch site east of Gaza City, which Hamas used to fire rockets towards Israeli communities across the border. Netanyahu on Sunday said he had instructed the Israeli military to speed up its plans for the new offensive. "I want to end the war as quickly as possible, and that is why I have instructed the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) to shorten the schedule for seizing control of Gaza City," he said. Netanyahu on Sunday said the new offensive will focus on Gaza City, which he described as Hamas' "capital of terrorism". He also pointed to a map and indicated that the coastal area of central Gaza may be next, saying Hamas militants have been pushed there too. The new plans have raised alarm abroad. On Friday, Germany, a key European ally, announced it would halt exports of military equipment to Israel that could be used in Gaza. Britain and other European allies urged Israel to reconsider its decision to escalate the Gaza military campaign. Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, told Reuters some countries appeared to be putting pressure on Israel rather than on Hamas, whose deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, ignited the war. The airstrike that killed Al Jazeera's Anas Al Sharif and four of his colleagues at Al Shifa Hospital was the deadliest for journalists in the conflict so far and was condemned by journalists and rights groups. Medics at the hospital said local freelancer Mohammad Al-Khaldi had also died in the attack, raising the number of dead journalists from the same strike to six. Al Sharif had previously been threatened by Israel, which confirmed it had targeted and killed him, alleging he had headed a Hamas cell and was involved in rocket attacks against Israel. Al Jazeera rejected the claim, and before his death, Al Sharif had also rejected Israeli allegations he had links to Hamas. Hamas, which runs Gaza, linked his killing to the new planned offensive. "The assassination of journalists and the intimidation of those who remain pave the way for a major crime that the occupation is planning to commit in Gaza City," it said. Palestinians have reported the heaviest bombardments in weeks in areas east of Gaza City, just hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he expected to complete a new expanded offensive in the enclave "fairly quickly". An airstrike also killed six journalists, including prominent Al Jazeera correspondent Anas Al Sharif, in a tent at a Gaza hospital compound. Witnesses said Israeli tanks and planes pounded Sabra, Zeitoun, and Shejaia, three eastern suburbs of Gaza City in the north of the territory, on Monday, pushing many families out of their homes westwards. Some Gaza City residents said it was one of the worst nights in weeks, raising fears of military preparations for a deeper offensive into their city. According to Palestinian militant group Hamas, the area is now sheltering about one million people after the displacement of residents from the enclave's northern edges. The Israeli military said its forces fired artillery at Hamas militants in the area. There was no sign on the ground of forces moving deeper into Gaza City as part of the newly approved Israeli offensive, which is not expected to begin in the coming weeks. "It sounded like the war was restarting," said Amr Salah, 25. "Tanks fired shells at houses, and several houses were hit, and the planes carried what we call fire rings, whereby several missiles landed on some roads in eastern Gaza," he told Reuters via a chat app. The Israeli military said its forces on Sunday dismantled a launch site east of Gaza City, which Hamas used to fire rockets towards Israeli communities across the border. Netanyahu on Sunday said he had instructed the Israeli military to speed up its plans for the new offensive. "I want to end the war as quickly as possible, and that is why I have instructed the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) to shorten the schedule for seizing control of Gaza City," he said. Netanyahu on Sunday said the new offensive will focus on Gaza City, which he described as Hamas' "capital of terrorism". He also pointed to a map and indicated that the coastal area of central Gaza may be next, saying Hamas militants have been pushed there too. The new plans have raised alarm abroad. On Friday, Germany, a key European ally, announced it would halt exports of military equipment to Israel that could be used in Gaza. Britain and other European allies urged Israel to reconsider its decision to escalate the Gaza military campaign. Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, told Reuters some countries appeared to be putting pressure on Israel rather than on Hamas, whose deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, ignited the war. The airstrike that killed Al Jazeera's Anas Al Sharif and four of his colleagues at Al Shifa Hospital was the deadliest for journalists in the conflict so far and was condemned by journalists and rights groups. Medics at the hospital said local freelancer Mohammad Al-Khaldi had also died in the attack, raising the number of dead journalists from the same strike to six. Al Sharif had previously been threatened by Israel, which confirmed it had targeted and killed him, alleging he had headed a Hamas cell and was involved in rocket attacks against Israel. Al Jazeera rejected the claim, and before his death, Al Sharif had also rejected Israeli allegations he had links to Hamas. Hamas, which runs Gaza, linked his killing to the new planned offensive. "The assassination of journalists and the intimidation of those who remain pave the way for a major crime that the occupation is planning to commit in Gaza City," it said. Palestinians have reported the heaviest bombardments in weeks in areas east of Gaza City, just hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he expected to complete a new expanded offensive in the enclave "fairly quickly". An airstrike also killed six journalists, including prominent Al Jazeera correspondent Anas Al Sharif, in a tent at a Gaza hospital compound. Witnesses said Israeli tanks and planes pounded Sabra, Zeitoun, and Shejaia, three eastern suburbs of Gaza City in the north of the territory, on Monday, pushing many families out of their homes westwards. Some Gaza City residents said it was one of the worst nights in weeks, raising fears of military preparations for a deeper offensive into their city. According to Palestinian militant group Hamas, the area is now sheltering about one million people after the displacement of residents from the enclave's northern edges. The Israeli military said its forces fired artillery at Hamas militants in the area. There was no sign on the ground of forces moving deeper into Gaza City as part of the newly approved Israeli offensive, which is not expected to begin in the coming weeks. "It sounded like the war was restarting," said Amr Salah, 25. "Tanks fired shells at houses, and several houses were hit, and the planes carried what we call fire rings, whereby several missiles landed on some roads in eastern Gaza," he told Reuters via a chat app. The Israeli military said its forces on Sunday dismantled a launch site east of Gaza City, which Hamas used to fire rockets towards Israeli communities across the border. Netanyahu on Sunday said he had instructed the Israeli military to speed up its plans for the new offensive. "I want to end the war as quickly as possible, and that is why I have instructed the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) to shorten the schedule for seizing control of Gaza City," he said. Netanyahu on Sunday said the new offensive will focus on Gaza City, which he described as Hamas' "capital of terrorism". He also pointed to a map and indicated that the coastal area of central Gaza may be next, saying Hamas militants have been pushed there too. The new plans have raised alarm abroad. On Friday, Germany, a key European ally, announced it would halt exports of military equipment to Israel that could be used in Gaza. Britain and other European allies urged Israel to reconsider its decision to escalate the Gaza military campaign. Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, told Reuters some countries appeared to be putting pressure on Israel rather than on Hamas, whose deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, ignited the war. The airstrike that killed Al Jazeera's Anas Al Sharif and four of his colleagues at Al Shifa Hospital was the deadliest for journalists in the conflict so far and was condemned by journalists and rights groups. Medics at the hospital said local freelancer Mohammad Al-Khaldi had also died in the attack, raising the number of dead journalists from the same strike to six. Al Sharif had previously been threatened by Israel, which confirmed it had targeted and killed him, alleging he had headed a Hamas cell and was involved in rocket attacks against Israel. Al Jazeera rejected the claim, and before his death, Al Sharif had also rejected Israeli allegations he had links to Hamas. Hamas, which runs Gaza, linked his killing to the new planned offensive. "The assassination of journalists and the intimidation of those who remain pave the way for a major crime that the occupation is planning to commit in Gaza City," it said.
