Australia condemns Israel's plan to administer aid in Gaza via IDF controlled zones
Australia is among 23 countries condemning Israel's pledge to 'take control' of Gaza and allow aid to flow in via IDF-controlled checkpoints after blocking humanitarian assistance into the war zone for months.
Israel allowed five aid trucks into Gaza on Monday - the first since it started blocking shipments on March 2.
Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday said his government was committed to preventing starvation conditions in Gaza, but wanted to ensure aid could not be 'looted' by Hamas.
'From the beginning of the war, we said that in order to complete the victory, defeat Hamas and free all our hostages … there is one necessary condition: we must not reach a state of starvation,' he said in a video message.
'We simply won't get support, we won't be able to complete the mission of victory.
'So we decided to provide minimal aid during the war and of course we advanced in this way and of course we discovered that Hamas was looting some of this aid.
'So, we stopped the humanitarian aid and together with our American friends we decided to do a different method.
'The method is distribution points that are secured by the IDF, preventing Hamas' access and allowing American companies to distribute the food and medicine aid to the population.'
Mr Netanyahu said the new proposal would 'take time' but would eventually establish a humanitarian distribution zone free from Hamas.
In a joint statement signed alongside the foreign ministers of major democratic nations, including the UK, Japan, Canada and Italy, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said she could not support the 'new model' and said humanitarian aid should not be subject to political or military conditions.
'Humanitarian principles matter for every conflict around the world and should be applied consistently in every war zone,' the statement reads.
'The UN has raised concerns that the proposed model cannot deliver aid effectively, at the speed and scale required.
'It places beneficiaries and aid workers at risk, undermines the role and independence of the UN and our trusted partners and links humanitarian aid to political and military objectives.
'Humanitarian aid should never be politicised and Palestinian territory must not be reduced nor subjected to any demographic change.'
The ministers warned food, medicines and essential supplies are now 'exhausted' and Gazans were facing starvation.
'As humanitarian donors, we have two straightforward messages for the Government of Israel: allow a full resumption of aid into Gaza immediately and enable the UN and humanitarian organisations to work independently and impartially to save lives, reduce suffering and maintain dignity,' the statement reads.
'We remain committed to meeting the acute needs we see in Gaza.
'We also reiterate our firm message that Hamas must immediately release all remaining hostages and allow humanitarian assistance to be distributed without interference.'
The statement ends with a call for an immediate return to a ceasefire and the implementation of a two-state solution.
Hamas triggered the war after raiding Israel on October 7, 2023, slaughtering Jewish men, women and children and taking 240 people hostage.
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