Ed Husic: Coalition 'betrays values' by denying Gaza starvation crisis
Ed Husic was among the 90,000 people who marched through Sydney's CBD and across the Harbour Bridge on Sunday.
The son of Bosnian Muslim immigrants, the former minister has been outspoken on the plight of innocent Palestinians in Gaza since losing his cabinet seat in factional infighting earlier this year.
Asked about the Opposition Leader's refusal to acknowledge starvation in Gaza, Mr Husic said on Monday any 'pro-family' conservatives who did not recognise the dire situation 'betray' the values they claimed to hold.
'I think conservatives who argue that they are pro family and cannot find a way to reflect on the suffering that has been wrought on innocent Palestinian families really betray whether or not they're fair dinkum on the cause,' he told the ABC.
He said he thought 'everyone gets' the horrors Hamas inflicted on Israel in its October 7 attacks in 2023 and those responsible 'need to be held to account'.
Mr Husic also said that Israelis taken hostage 'should be released and the people who had mistreated them fundamentally should be held to account as well'.
'But 60,000 innocent Palestinians, half of which have been women and children, that have been killed through the Netanyahu government's actions – they did not deserve that,' he said.
'They deserve to be able to carry on with their lives and do the type of things that they want to do in their lives, like we do in our families.
'So I think the Coalition would do themselves better credit if they recognised the impact on innocent families.'
Health officials in Gaza said overnight six more people died from starvation, bringing the total toll to 175.
While supplies have started trickling into the war-ravaged Palestian territory in slightly higher amounts, humanitarian groups have said it is nowhere near enough to prevent further deaths from a lack of food.
The mild relief has been helped in part by countries air-dropping aid.
But the Israeli government continues to keep a chokehold on the aid flow via land crossings.
The Albanese government on Sunday announced a $20m support package for Gaza.
The funds will go to humanitarian agencies best placed to co-ordinate aid delivery, including the UN's World Food Program and The International Committee of the Red Cross.
Liberal senator Dave Sharma, a former ambassador to Israel, on Monday backed the new commitment.
Though he said that he was unsure that a lack of money was 'the issue'.
'I don't know if money is so much the issue as the means and mechanisms of delivery and making sure that Hamas is not commandeering the aid and making sure that it's getting to the population in Gaza,' Senator Sharma told Sky News.
'But with that in mind, I don't have a problem with Australia doing a bit to alleviate human suffering in Gaza.'
'Australians, wake up!'
All up, more than 100,000 people took part in the protests across Australia at the weekend.
That did not go down well in Israel, with the country's foreign minister singling out an image of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Iran backs Hamas and worked with the Palestinian Islamist group on its October 7 assault.
More recently, Israel and Iran traded deadly missiles strikes in a short-lived conflict in June.
'The distorted alliance between the radical Left and fundamentalist Islam is sadly dragging the West toward the sidelines of history,' Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar posted on social media.
'In the picture: Radical protesters at Sydney Harbour Bridge today holding an image of Iran's 'Supreme Leader' – the most dangerous leader of fundamentalist Islam, the world's largest exporter of terror and a mass executioner.
'Australians, wake up!'
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On August 6, the world pauses to remember. We think about the blinding flash over Hiroshima, the mushroom cloud that became a symbol of human destruction, and the immense suffering of people. We said "Never Again". We observe another Hiroshima Day amid the ongoing devastation in Gaza, the connections between 1945 and 2025 are striking. Similarities lie in the systematic erasure of civilian humanity. The atomic bombings weren't just military attacks, they were acts of mass destruction aimed at entire populations. The logic prioritised strategic goals over the value of innocent life. In Gaza, we see a similar calculation using conventional weapons. The civilian death toll, more than 46,000 Palestinians killed, mostly women and children, shows this is not about isolated accidents. It reflects a relentless campaign in populated areas. Homes, hospitals and vital infrastructure destroyed. Collateral damage, a term often used to dehumanise civilians caught in a war zone. Before Hiroshima, propaganda portrayed the Japanese as subhuman fanatics. Narratives to destroy empathy, making the intolerable appear acceptable. Palestinians in Gaza experience a similar process. Grouped together, stripped of individual stories and pain, reduced to numbers or abstract threats. Their suffering is downplayed, their deaths justified, and their right to exist questioned. This dehumanisation creates the emotional distance necessary for inflicting and accepting immense suffering. The faces of children pulled from rubble resemble the haunting images of burned children in Hiroshima, the moral disconnect should shatter this distance. Yet, too often, it hasn't. The destruction the weaponisation of the environment is another similarity. Hiroshima was more than a bombing, it was an environmental disaster, leaving radioactive scars for generations. Gaza now faces a man-made environmental crisis. Basic necessities, food, water, medicine, are a daily struggle. It's not just warfare; its a violation of human dignity. Hiroshima Day urges us to confront the risk of unchecked power. The bomb symbolised technological dominance used without effective restraint. Today we look on, paralysed, as one of the most powerful militaries operates in Gaza with impunity. Calls for ceasefires ignored, UN resolutions unenforced, rulings from the ICJ demanding the prevention of a genocide disregarded. The frameworks established after World War II to stop atrocities and uphold humanitarian law appear weak, if not completely broken. The lesson that absolute power needs absolute accountability remains unlearned. Hiroshima is a stark warning about nuclear weapons. Unlike Hamas, Israel has a significant undeclared nuclear arsenal. The existence of these weapons casts a long shadow. The potential for escalation, the temptation in extreme situations, and the terror they induce raise the stakes dramatically. Remembering Hiroshima is not just about looking back, it's a plea to prevent any future use of these weapons of destruction. The ongoing violence in Gaza, fuelled by deep trauma and unresolved injustice, emphasises how dangerously close the world remains to the brink that Hiroshima revealed. What does Hiroshima Day call for today?: 1. An immediate, sustained ceasefire and unimpeded humanitarian access. The killing must stop. 2. Violations of international humanitarian law by any party must be thoroughly investigated, and consequences imposed. Justice is essential for any future peace. 3. International Humanitarian Law must be defended and it must be strengthened. 4. Lasting peace requires tackling the ongoing injustices: occupation, blockade, displacement, and the denial of Palestinian self-determination. 5. Australia must sign the 2017 UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. The victims of Hiroshima were sacrificed at the end of a war. The victims of Gaza are being sacrificed in an endless conflict, with the same toxic mix of dehumanisation and unchecked power. Hiroshima Day honours our past. Its also a critique of our failures. The images from 1945 and 2025 aren't separate tragedies, they are parts of our struggle to recognise humankind's sacred value. "Never Again" is not just a memorial statement. It is a call to act before Gaza becomes another Hiroshima in our shared conscience. On August 6, the world pauses to remember. We think about the blinding flash over Hiroshima, the mushroom cloud that became a symbol of human destruction, and the immense suffering of people. We said "Never Again". We observe another Hiroshima Day amid the ongoing devastation in Gaza, the connections between 1945 and 2025 are striking. Similarities lie in the systematic erasure of civilian humanity. The atomic bombings weren't just military attacks, they were acts of mass destruction aimed at entire populations. The logic prioritised strategic goals over the value of innocent life. In Gaza, we see a similar calculation using conventional weapons. The civilian death toll, more than 46,000 Palestinians killed, mostly women and children, shows this is not about isolated accidents. It reflects a relentless campaign in populated areas. Homes, hospitals and vital infrastructure destroyed. Collateral damage, a term often used to dehumanise civilians caught in a war zone. Before Hiroshima, propaganda portrayed the Japanese as subhuman fanatics. Narratives to destroy empathy, making the intolerable appear acceptable. Palestinians in Gaza experience a similar process. Grouped together, stripped of individual stories and pain, reduced to numbers or abstract threats. Their suffering is downplayed, their deaths justified, and their right to exist questioned. This dehumanisation creates the emotional distance necessary for inflicting and accepting immense suffering. The faces of children pulled from rubble resemble the haunting images of burned children in Hiroshima, the moral disconnect should shatter this distance. Yet, too often, it hasn't. The destruction the weaponisation of the environment is another similarity. Hiroshima was more than a bombing, it was an environmental disaster, leaving radioactive scars for generations. Gaza now faces a man-made environmental crisis. Basic necessities, food, water, medicine, are a daily struggle. It's not just warfare; its a violation of human dignity. Hiroshima Day urges us to confront the risk of unchecked power. The bomb symbolised technological dominance used without effective restraint. Today we look on, paralysed, as one of the most powerful militaries operates in Gaza with impunity. Calls for ceasefires ignored, UN resolutions unenforced, rulings from the ICJ demanding the prevention of a genocide disregarded. The frameworks established after World War II to stop atrocities and uphold humanitarian law appear weak, if not completely broken. The lesson that absolute power needs absolute accountability remains unlearned. Hiroshima is a stark warning about nuclear weapons. Unlike Hamas, Israel has a significant undeclared nuclear arsenal. The existence of these weapons casts a long shadow. The potential for escalation, the temptation in extreme situations, and the terror they induce raise the stakes dramatically. Remembering Hiroshima is not just about looking back, it's a plea to prevent any future use of these weapons of destruction. The ongoing violence in Gaza, fuelled by deep trauma and unresolved injustice, emphasises how dangerously close the world remains to the brink that Hiroshima revealed. What does Hiroshima Day call for today?: 1. An immediate, sustained ceasefire and unimpeded humanitarian access. The killing must stop. 2. Violations of international humanitarian law by any party must be thoroughly investigated, and consequences imposed. Justice is essential for any future peace. 3. International Humanitarian Law must be defended and it must be strengthened. 4. Lasting peace requires tackling the ongoing injustices: occupation, blockade, displacement, and the denial of Palestinian self-determination. 5. Australia must sign the 2017 UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. The victims of Hiroshima were sacrificed at the end of a war. The victims of Gaza are being sacrificed in an endless conflict, with the same toxic mix of dehumanisation and unchecked power. Hiroshima Day honours our past. Its also a critique of our failures. The images from 1945 and 2025 aren't separate tragedies, they are parts of our struggle to recognise humankind's sacred value. "Never Again" is not just a memorial statement. It is a call to act before Gaza becomes another Hiroshima in our shared conscience. On August 6, the world pauses to remember. We think about the blinding flash over Hiroshima, the mushroom cloud that became a symbol of human destruction, and the immense suffering of people. We said "Never Again". We observe another Hiroshima Day amid the ongoing devastation in Gaza, the connections between 1945 and 2025 are striking. Similarities lie in the systematic erasure of civilian humanity. The atomic bombings weren't just military attacks, they were acts of mass destruction aimed at entire populations. The logic prioritised strategic goals over the value of innocent life. In Gaza, we see a similar calculation using conventional weapons. The civilian death toll, more than 46,000 Palestinians killed, mostly women and children, shows this is not about isolated accidents. It reflects a relentless campaign in populated areas. Homes, hospitals and vital infrastructure destroyed. Collateral damage, a term often used to dehumanise civilians caught in a war zone. Before Hiroshima, propaganda portrayed the Japanese as subhuman fanatics. Narratives to destroy empathy, making the intolerable appear acceptable. Palestinians in Gaza experience a similar process. Grouped together, stripped of individual stories and pain, reduced to numbers or abstract threats. Their suffering is downplayed, their deaths justified, and their right to exist questioned. This dehumanisation creates the emotional distance necessary for inflicting and accepting immense suffering. The faces of children pulled from rubble resemble the haunting images of burned children in Hiroshima, the moral disconnect should shatter this distance. Yet, too often, it hasn't. The destruction the weaponisation of the environment is another similarity. Hiroshima was more than a bombing, it was an environmental disaster, leaving radioactive scars for generations. Gaza now faces a man-made environmental crisis. Basic necessities, food, water, medicine, are a daily struggle. It's not just warfare; its a violation of human dignity. Hiroshima Day urges us to confront the risk of unchecked power. The bomb symbolised technological dominance used without effective restraint. Today we look on, paralysed, as one of the most powerful militaries operates in Gaza with impunity. Calls for ceasefires ignored, UN resolutions unenforced, rulings from the ICJ demanding the prevention of a genocide disregarded. The frameworks established after World War II to stop atrocities and uphold humanitarian law appear weak, if not completely broken. The lesson that absolute power needs absolute accountability remains unlearned. Hiroshima is a stark warning about nuclear weapons. Unlike Hamas, Israel has a significant undeclared nuclear arsenal. The existence of these weapons casts a long shadow. The potential for escalation, the temptation in extreme situations, and the terror they induce raise the stakes dramatically. Remembering Hiroshima is not just about looking back, it's a plea to prevent any future use of these weapons of destruction. The ongoing violence in Gaza, fuelled by deep trauma and unresolved injustice, emphasises how dangerously close the world remains to the brink that Hiroshima revealed. What does Hiroshima Day call for today?: 1. An immediate, sustained ceasefire and unimpeded humanitarian access. The killing must stop. 2. Violations of international humanitarian law by any party must be thoroughly investigated, and consequences imposed. Justice is essential for any future peace. 3. International Humanitarian Law must be defended and it must be strengthened. 4. Lasting peace requires tackling the ongoing injustices: occupation, blockade, displacement, and the denial of Palestinian self-determination. 5. Australia must sign the 2017 UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. The victims of Hiroshima were sacrificed at the end of a war. The victims of Gaza are being sacrificed in an endless conflict, with the same toxic mix of dehumanisation and unchecked power. Hiroshima Day honours our past. Its also a critique of our failures. The images from 1945 and 2025 aren't separate tragedies, they are parts of our struggle to recognise humankind's sacred value. "Never Again" is not just a memorial statement. It is a call to act before Gaza becomes another Hiroshima in our shared conscience. On August 6, the world pauses to remember. We think about the blinding flash over Hiroshima, the mushroom cloud that became a symbol of human destruction, and the immense suffering of people. We said "Never Again". We observe another Hiroshima Day amid the ongoing devastation in Gaza, the connections between 1945 and 2025 are striking. Similarities lie in the systematic erasure of civilian humanity. The atomic bombings weren't just military attacks, they were acts of mass destruction aimed at entire populations. The logic prioritised strategic goals over the value of innocent life. In Gaza, we see a similar calculation using conventional weapons. The civilian death toll, more than 46,000 Palestinians killed, mostly women and children, shows this is not about isolated accidents. It reflects a relentless campaign in populated areas. Homes, hospitals and vital infrastructure destroyed. Collateral damage, a term often used to dehumanise civilians caught in a war zone. Before Hiroshima, propaganda portrayed the Japanese as subhuman fanatics. Narratives to destroy empathy, making the intolerable appear acceptable. Palestinians in Gaza experience a similar process. Grouped together, stripped of individual stories and pain, reduced to numbers or abstract threats. Their suffering is downplayed, their deaths justified, and their right to exist questioned. This dehumanisation creates the emotional distance necessary for inflicting and accepting immense suffering. The faces of children pulled from rubble resemble the haunting images of burned children in Hiroshima, the moral disconnect should shatter this distance. Yet, too often, it hasn't. The destruction the weaponisation of the environment is another similarity. Hiroshima was more than a bombing, it was an environmental disaster, leaving radioactive scars for generations. Gaza now faces a man-made environmental crisis. Basic necessities, food, water, medicine, are a daily struggle. It's not just warfare; its a violation of human dignity. Hiroshima Day urges us to confront the risk of unchecked power. The bomb symbolised technological dominance used without effective restraint. Today we look on, paralysed, as one of the most powerful militaries operates in Gaza with impunity. Calls for ceasefires ignored, UN resolutions unenforced, rulings from the ICJ demanding the prevention of a genocide disregarded. The frameworks established after World War II to stop atrocities and uphold humanitarian law appear weak, if not completely broken. The lesson that absolute power needs absolute accountability remains unlearned. Hiroshima is a stark warning about nuclear weapons. Unlike Hamas, Israel has a significant undeclared nuclear arsenal. The existence of these weapons casts a long shadow. The potential for escalation, the temptation in extreme situations, and the terror they induce raise the stakes dramatically. Remembering Hiroshima is not just about looking back, it's a plea to prevent any future use of these weapons of destruction. The ongoing violence in Gaza, fuelled by deep trauma and unresolved injustice, emphasises how dangerously close the world remains to the brink that Hiroshima revealed. What does Hiroshima Day call for today?: 1. An immediate, sustained ceasefire and unimpeded humanitarian access. The killing must stop. 2. Violations of international humanitarian law by any party must be thoroughly investigated, and consequences imposed. Justice is essential for any future peace. 3. International Humanitarian Law must be defended and it must be strengthened. 4. Lasting peace requires tackling the ongoing injustices: occupation, blockade, displacement, and the denial of Palestinian self-determination. 5. Australia must sign the 2017 UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. The victims of Hiroshima were sacrificed at the end of a war. The victims of Gaza are being sacrificed in an endless conflict, with the same toxic mix of dehumanisation and unchecked power. Hiroshima Day honours our past. Its also a critique of our failures. The images from 1945 and 2025 aren't separate tragedies, they are parts of our struggle to recognise humankind's sacred value. "Never Again" is not just a memorial statement. It is a call to act before Gaza becomes another Hiroshima in our shared conscience.
