Australia news LIVE: Netanyahu blasts ‘weak' Albanese; Trump rules out US troops in Ukraine
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Latest posts
6.59am
Netanyahu criticised for 'disappointing' Albanese remark
By Daniel Lo Surdo
Housing Minister Clare O'Neil has hit out at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's scathing remarks about Anthony Albanese, in which he called the Australian PM a 'weak' politician who has 'betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia's Jews'.
O'Neil said Netanyahu's comments were 'disappointing', finding that Albanese was 'unfailingly polite' in his dealings with his international counterparts.
'The Australian government is not going to get into a tit-for-tat here,' O'Neil told Seven's Sunrise.
'I know the Israeli prime minister has had similar things to say about other global leaders with whom he has a disagreement. This kind of diplomacy is never effective and that's why the Australian government doesn't engage.'
6.49am
Ukrainian ambassador 'cautiously optimistic' of peace
By Daniel Lo Surdo
Ukrainian ambassador to Australia Vasyl Myroshnychenko has indicated he is 'cautiously optimistic' about the prospect of peace between Ukraine and Russia, as arrangements for peace talks between the nations' leaders and US President Donald Trump are advanced following the visit of a high-powered European delegation to the White House yesterday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he is open to meeting Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to advance discussions to end the war, but has refused calls to cede land to Russia and has called for security guarantees from allied nations to prevent further Russian aggression following the conclusion of the current conflict.
Myroshnychenko praised Trump's efforts to advance peace between Russia and Ukraine, but cast doubt about Russia's willingness to partake in fair negotiations to end the war.
'I'm cautiously optimistic because I've seen it all in three and a half years, and we don't know what's going to happen,' Myroshnychenko told Nine's Today.
'What's important for us is how can we achieve security guarantees, which would deter a Russian invasion three years from now or later on.'
6.33am
Trump rules out deployment of US troops in Ukraine deal
By David Crowe
President Donald Trump has ruled out sending US troops to Ukraine in a potential peace deal with Russia, placing a strict limit on America's role and putting the onus on European nations to enforce any truce.
Trump offered US Air Force support to the peace plan but assured American voters he would not put 'boots on the ground' in Ukraine – a key issue for those in his MAGA movement who oppose a bigger commitment to the European war.
The comment came a day after Trump left the option open when asked twice if he would send ground troops, signalling the caution in the White House about how to ensure Russian President Vladimir Putin honours any peace deal.
6.29am
What's making news today
By Daniel Lo Surdo
Hello and welcome to the national news blog. My name is Daniel Lo Surdo, and I'll be helming our live coverage this morning.
Here's what is making news today:
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has admonished Anthony Albanese as a 'weak politician' who has 'betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia's Jews' in a stunning personal rebuke that has deepened the deteriorating diplomatic relationship between the two nations. The remarks follow Australia's decision to reject the visa application of a right-wing Israeli politician, which triggered Israel to revoke the visas of Australian diplomats in the occupied Palestinian territories.
President Donald Trump has ruled out US troops being deployed to Ukraine as part of any peace agreement with Russia, one day after he welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and a high-powered European delegation to the White House. Trump said Ukraine's aspirations to join the NATO military alliance and the return of Crimea, seized by Russian forces in 2014, were 'impossible', ahead of a proposed meeting between Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The federal government's economic reform roundtable will continue in Canberra today, after a first day of discussions largely hailed as productive by government, business and union leaders on Tuesday. Independent MP Allegra Spender said the roundtable had agreed on the importance of training workers to adapt to emerging technologies, including AI, with Business Council of Australia chief executive Bran Black calling the conversations 'really quite constructive'.
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9 News
31 minutes ago
- 9 News
Netanyahu says he'll push ahead with Gaza City takeover and renewed ceasefire talks
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he will give final approval for the takeover of Gaza City while also restarting negotiations with Hamas aimed at returning all of Israel's remaining hostages and ending the war on Israel's terms. The wide-scale operation in Gaza City could start within days after Netanyahu grants final approval at a meeting with senior security officials. Hamas said earlier this week that it had agreed to a ceasefire proposal from Arab mediators, which, if accepted by Israel, could forestall the offensive. READ MORE: Growing condemnation as Israel begins offensive on Gaza City Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference at the Prime minister's office in Jerusalem, Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025. (Abir Sultan/Pool Photo via AP) (AP) The Israeli military began calling medical officials and international organisations in the northern Gaza Strip to encourage them to evacuate to the south ahead of the expanded operation. The military plans to call up 60,000 reservists and extend the service of 20,000 more. Israeli strikes killed at least 36 Palestinians across Gaza on Thursday, according to local hospitals. A renewed offensive could bring even more casualties and displacement to the territory, where the war has already killed tens of thousands and where experts have warned of imminent famine. Many Israelis fear it could also doom the remaining 20 or so living hostages taken by Hamas-led militants in the October 7, 2023 attack that ignited the war. READ MORE: Australian officials pulled out of West Bank after Israel revokes visas The mother of Mohammed Al-Sukni, centre, who was killed while trying to reach aid trucks, is comforted by relatives outside Shifa Hospital, before his funeral in Gaza City, Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi) Gaza City operation could begin in days During a visit to the military's Gaza command in southern Israel, Netanyahu said he would approve the army's plans to retake Gaza City, and had instructed officials "to begin immediate negotiations on the release of all our hostages and an end to the war on terms acceptable to Israel." "These two things — defeating Hamas and releasing all our hostages — go hand in hand," he said. It appeared to mark Israel's first public response to the latest ceasefire proposal drawn up by Egypt and Qatar, which Egyptian and Hamas officials say is almost identical to an earlier one that Israel accepted before the talks stalled last month . The proposal would include the release of some of the hostages in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, a pullback of Israeli forces and negotiations over a more lasting ceasefire. A Palestinian boy walks amid debris after Israeli military strikes in a tent camp for displaced people near Al-Aqsa Hospital, in Deir al-Balah, Thursday, August 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi) Israeli troops have already begun more limited operations in the city's Zeitoun neighbourhood and the built-up Jabaliya refugee camp, areas where they have carried out several previous major operations over the course of the war, only to see militants later regroup. The military says it plans to operate in areas where ground troops have not yet entered and where it says Hamas still has military and governing capabilities. So far, there has been little sign of Palestinians fleeing en masse, as they did when Israel carried out an earlier offensive in Gaza City in the opening weeks of the war. The military says it controls around 75 per cent of Gaza and residents say nowhere in the territory feels safe. This satellite photo from Planet Labs PBC shows the northern reaches of Gaza City and Jabaliya in the Gaza Strip Wednesday, August 20, 2025. (Planet Labs PBC via AP) Hundreds gathered for a rare protest in Gaza City on Thursday against the war and Israel's plans to support the mass relocation of Palestinians to other countries. Women and children held placards reading "Save Gaza" and "Stop the war, stop the savage attack, save us", against a backdrop of destroyed buildings as Palestinian music played. Unlike in previous protests, there were no expressions of opposition to Hamas. "We want the war on Gaza to stop. We don't want to migrate. Twenty-two months … it's enough. Enough death. Enough destruction," said Bisan Ghazal, a woman displaced from Gaza City. Israeli soldiers prepare tanks on August 18 near the Gaza Strip's northern border. (via CNN Newsource) Protests in Israel In Israel, families of some of the 50 hostages still being held in Gaza gathered in Tel Aviv to condemn the expanded operation. Israel believes around 20 hostages are still alive. "Forty-two hostages were kidnapped alive and murdered in captivity due to military pressure and delay in signing a deal," said Dalia Cusnir, whose brother-in-law, Eitan Horn, is still being held captive. Eitan's brother, Iair Horn, was released during a ceasefire earlier this year. "Enough to sacrifice the hostages. Enough to sacrifice the soldiers, both regular and reservists. Enough to sacrifice the evacuees. Enough to sacrifice the younger generation in the country," said Bar Goddard, the daughter of Meni Goddard, whose body is being held by Hamas. Additional protests are planned for Thursday night in Tel Aviv. Palestinian women check the destruction after Israeli military strikes in a tent camp for displaced people near Al-Aqsa Hospital, in Deir al-Balah, Thursday, August 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi) Plans for widening the offensive have also sparked international outrage, with many of Israel's closest Western allies — but not the United States — calling on it to end the war. "I must reiterate that it is vital to reach immediately a ceasefire in Gaza, and the unconditional release of all hostages to avoid the massive death and destruction that a military operation against Gaza City would inevitably cause," United Nations chief António Guterres said at a conference in Japan. The Gaza Health Ministry said on Thursday that at least 62,192 Palestinians have been killed in the war. Another two people have died from malnutrition-related causes, bringing the total number of such deaths to 271, including 112 children, the Health Ministry said. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals. It does not say whether those killed by Israeli fire are civilians or combatants, but it says around half are women and children. The UN and many independent experts consider its figures to be the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties. Israel disputes its toll but has not provided its own. Hamas-led militants started the war when they attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing some 1200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251. Most of the hostages have been released in ceasefires or other deals. Hamas says it will only free the rest in exchange for a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal.
AU Financial Review
31 minutes ago
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Trump suggests Ukraine ‘play offence' as he pressures Putin
Washington | President Donald Trump insinuated in a social media post that he's open to Ukraine launching more attacks on Russia, as the White House looks to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree to a one-on-one meeting with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. 'It is very hard, if not impossible, to win a war without attacking an invaders country,' Trump wrote. 'It's like a great team in sports that has a fantastic defence, but is not allowed to play offence. There is no chance of winning!'
Perth Now
an hour ago
- Perth Now
Tarnished: Netanyahu ups the ante on Albanese attack
The diplomatic stoush between Australia and Israel has cranked up another gear, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu using a television appearance to blast Anthony Albanese's leadership record. Mr Albanese has flagged that Australia will join other Western nations, including the UK, France and Canada, in recognising a state of Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly in September, in response to the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza. A furious Mr Netanyahu unleashed on Mr Albanese during an interview on Australian television on Thursday night. "I'm sure he has a reputable record as a public servant, but I think his record is forever tarnished by the weakness that he showed in the face of these Hamas terrorist monsters," Mr Netanyahu told Sky News. "When the worst terrorist organisation on earth... which murdered women, raped them, beheaded men and burnt babies alive in front of their parents and took hundreds of hostages, when these people congratulate the prime minister of Australia, you know something is wrong." Diplomatic ties hit an all-time low this week after the federal government denied a visa to far-right Israeli politician Simcha Rothman from entering the country for a speaking tour, following provocative comments. Israel retaliated by cancelling the visas of three Australian diplomats who cover the Palestinian Authority. "When Prime Minister Albanese and the leaders of France and Britain and others, when they say we'll give them a Palestinian state, they are actually rewarding terror, they are saying it doesn't matter what horrors you people do," Mr Netanyahu said. "(Australia and Israel) had a great relationship over the years. I think it's gone astray because leaders did not show the strength and conviction they should have, when we're fighting the war of Western civilisation against these barbarians." Mr Netanyahu's broadside came as the Israeli military maintains pressure on Gaza City with heavy bombardments ahead of an offensive to seize the enclave's largest city. The military has called up 60,000 Israeli reservists. Mr Netanyahu hinted that the conflict could soon be over. "We are on the verge of completing this war... when that happens, I think we will have tremendous opportunities to expand the peace," he said. "We will win." Earlier this week, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said Israel was increasingly isolated on the international stage. "Strength is not measured by how many people you can blow up or how many children you can leave hungry. Strength is much better measured by exactly what Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has done," he told ABC Radio National on Wednesday.
