Albanese's TOUGHEST talk yet on Gaza - but he's slammed by some for not being tough enough on the REAL culprits
The comments, which were issued on Friday, followed increasing concerns about the blockade of aid to the region after the release of photos showing children starving.
'Israel's denial of aid and the killing of civilians, including children, seeking access to water and food cannot be defended or ignored,' Albanese said.
'Every innocent life matters. Every Israeli. Every Palestinian.
'We call on Israel to comply immediately with its obligations under international law. This includes allowing the United Nations and NGOs to carry out their lifesaving work safely and without hindrance.'
His comments were echoed by Foreign Minister Penny Wong, who called the situation a 'humanitarian catastrophe' that has left Australians distressed.
Albanese also said Israel should abandon any further plans that would lead to permanently displacing Palestinian people.
But he stopped short of saying Australia would join France in recognising Palestinian statehood after the European nation became the largest Western power to signal it would make the announcement.
The Prime Minister instead said recognising the 'legitimate aspirations of Palestinian people for a state of their own' was a bipartisan position.
'Australia is committed to a future where both the Israeli and Palestinian peoples can live in peace and safety, within internationally recognised borders,' he said.
'Until that day, every effort must be made here and now to safeguard innocent life and end the suffering and starvation of the people of Gaza.'
But on Friday afternoon, the Coalition lashed Albanese, with shadow foreign affairs minister Michaelia Cash claiming he had missed an opportunity to name Hamas as the primary obstacle.
'The Coalition has strong concerns about the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza,' she said.
'It is disappointing that Prime Minister Albanese's statement about Gaza once again fails to place any blame on Hamas, a listed terrorist organisation, for the delays in aid reaching the people of Gaza.'
She said outrage over the crisis should be directed squarely at Hamas: 'Hamas and its allies have tried to disrupt the flow of aid into Gaza and have stolen humanitarian aid for their own purposes.'
'This war began because of Hamas's abhorrent attack on Israeli civilians, where over 1,200 were murdered in cold blood, and they bear responsibility for the continuation of this conflict.'
Cash also criticised Hamas for refusing to recognise Israel's right to exist.
'They could end the suffering of the people of Gaza by freeing the remaining Israeli hostages and laying down their weapons,' she said.
Ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas have recently collapsed, with both Israel and the United States reportedly withdrawing from talks.
With aid being throttled at the border and all entry points to Gaza controlled by Israel, former USAID official Jeremy Konyndyk said Australia and other nations must do more.
'Nothing about this is natural or organic - it's 100 per cent man-made,' the Refugees International president told ABC Radio.
'We are at - if not past - a tipping point.'
The Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which began operations in May, has been accused of obstructing operations by the United Nations and other aid groups, and putting starving Palestinians in danger.
According to Mr Konyndyk, its aid packages were small and insufficient and the foundation's facilities were located far from population centres.
Israel, which began letting in only a trickle of supplies to Gaza in recent months, has previously blamed Hamas for disrupting food distribution and accused it of using stolen aid to fund its war effort.
Israel has enforced a complete embargo on humanitarian aid and medical supplies for almost three months after a ceasefire deal collapsed earlier in 2025.
In recent months, more than 800 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid, many of them shot by the Israeli military, UN sources have found.
Israel's military campaign was launched after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1200 people and taking 251 hostages.
Albanese also condemned the 'terror and brutality' of Hamas and repeated calls for the release of the remaining hostages.
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