PM speaks with Palestinian Authority leader, as pressure over recognition continues
The pair have not formally spoken since November 2023, just a month after the terror attack by Hamas.
According to a readout of the call, Mr Abbas told Mr Albanese that Australia could play an "important role" in achieving peace by moving to recognise Palestine.
Mr Albanese is under pressure to detail when Australia will move to recognise the state of Palestine, something his ministers say is a matter of "when, not if" but which the prime minister says he would only do if the move was effective.
On ABC Radio National, Foreign Minister Penny Wong this morning expressed her fear that "there will be no Palestine left" if recognition did not come soon.
"There is a risk there will be no Palestine left to recognise if the international community don't move to create that pathway to a two-state solution," Senator Wong said.
Last week France, the United Kingdom and Canada all announced they would move to recognise a Palestinian state at the next United Nations General Assembly in September, under conditions including that Hamas plays no role in its governing.
In his call with Mr Abbas, Mr Albanese repeated Australia's commitment to a two-state solution but did not detail timing, according to a readout of the call.
Mr Abbas praised Australia's "positive approach to recognising the state of Palestine" and emphasised "the important role" Australia can play in achieving peace and stability in the region, according to a readout from the Palestinian Authority.
He also thanked Australia for its humanitarian commitments to Gaza, which include a recent $20 million increase in support to organisations delivering food and medical supplies into the strip.
The Palestinian Authority exercises partial control over the occupied West Bank, and controlled Gaza until 2006 when rival political party Hamas triumphed in elections that year.
The government is also seeking a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which Senator Wong confirmed this morning had not yet been held.
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Tom Homan, the man frequently described as Mr Trump's 'border czar', has claimed most migrants targeted by ICE are either 'criminals' or 'national security threats'. Originally published as United States trying to deport migrant to Australia, despite him having no connection to the country
