Australia calls for Israel to end Gaza aid blockade
Foreign Minister Penny Wong has called for Israel to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza after blocking supplies for more than 50 days.
Australia joined calls from the UK, France and Germany for Israel to "immediately allow rapid and unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza", Senator Wong said as she called for a new ceasefire deal and the return of hostages.
She made the declaration on social media, while sharing a statement from UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy which labelled the aid blockade "completely unacceptable".
Israel has also stopped all goods, including fuel and electricity, from entering Gaza since the beginning of March, with the foreign ministers of Germany, France and Britain issuing a joint statement calling for it to follow international law.
"Palestinian civilians - including one million children - face an acute risk of starvation, epidemic disease and death. This must end," the statement said.
"We reiterate our outrage at recent strikes by Israeli forces on humanitarian personnel, infrastructure, premises and healthcare facilities."
Labor has been under pressure in western Sydney seats with large Muslim and Middle Eastern populations to be stronger on Gaza.
The most serious challenges from grassroots Muslim independents are in Watson and Blaxland, held by two Labor ministers on sizeable margins.
The independents are backed by a grassroots organisation called Muslim Votes Matter, which is urging the community to vote strategically to show its anger.
"Candidates who refused to condemn a genocide ... will be met with the exact same response: our complete and unapologetic rejection," it told supporters in a campaign message on WhatsApp on Thursday.
Both major parties have been largely silent on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza during the federal election campaign.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton vowed to review visas given to people fleeing Gaza if the coalition wins government on May 3 after pledging to stop accepting refugees from the strip due to security concerns.
Everyone granted a visa has undergone and passed appropriate security checks, the government maintains.
Amnesty International Australia labelled Mr Dutton's comments inflammatory and unfounded.
"Palestinian visa holders who have arrived in Australia have already undergone extensive security assessments, including by ASIO, which represent a far higher standard than any other group," spokesperson Mohamed Duar said.
The Gaza conflict was sparked by a Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, resulting in 1200 deaths and 251 hostages taken to Gaza, according to Israeli records.
Since then, local health authorities report more than 51,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli offensive.
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Former Labor Climate Change Minister Greg Combet, who was appointed chair of Future Fund by Dr Chalmers in January 2024, said the decision to defer withdrawals 'provides the Future Fund with the confidence to provide more focus and resources to the areas of national priority identified in the new investment mandate that align with our risk and return hurdle'. In an op-ed for The Australian Financial Review, Mr Combet said 'as of today, the value of the Future Fund covers about 79 per cent of the estimated APS superannuation liabilities' — suggesting the liability had grown to about $290 billion. The Future Fund was valued at $237.9 billion as at December 31. The most recent federal budget estimates liabilities for civilian superannuation schemes, including the CSS and PSS as well as pensions for judges, at $166 billion in 2024-25, rising to $179 billion by 2028-29. Including military superannuation schemes, the total figure was $303 billion in 2024-25 and $341 billion by 2028-29. 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