Latest news with #RiyadMansour
The Guardian
a day ago
- General
- The Guardian
If the horrors unfolding in Gaza are not a red line for Australia to take stronger action then I don't know what is
Much has been made this week over Anthony Albanese's strongest comments yet criticising the Netanyahu government's ongoing blockade of humanitarian aid into Gaza. While welcome, his rhetoric calling this an 'outrage', 'unacceptable' and 'untenable' feels inadequate in the face of what looks like a genocide unfolding in full view of the world. These words have not been matched with any new 'concrete action' of the kind being called for by what feels like just about everyone, and foreshadowed by three of Australia's closest allies, the UK, France and Canada. The prime minister hasn't been able to offer a satisfactory explanation as to why Australia wasn't a signatory to this stronger statement of intent, choosing to move away from the mantle of middle power leader we've worn so proudly in times past. The time for stronger global action is now. For too long the international community has failed to follow up words of condemnation with action. Palestinian people have been killed in their tens of thousands, two million teeter on the brink of starvation and the Israeli government continues to build new settlements in the West Bank. The pleas for help are becoming ever more desperate, like that of Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, who broke down while addressing the security council over the deaths of children in Gaza. In the absence of political leadership we've seen people with moral courage step up. Surgeons armed with smartphones, not only saving lives but broadcasting in real time and in unprecedented detail the trauma that this conflict is inflicting on innocent people, especially children. Earlier this week I hosted an event with one of these medical missionaries, Dr Mohammed Mustafa, a British Australian emergency physician of Palestinian heritage who has completed two rotations on the ground in Gaza, most recently in March this year. More than 1,000 Canberrans packed into parliament's Great Hall to hear him speak, but despite the crowd you could have heard a pin drop. Dr Mo talked about the horrific choices medical personnel face trying to save who they can during the mass casualty events that are all too common. He came with a message of hope and compassion. He read a statement from the family of an Israeli hostage, condemned the attacks of October 7 and articulated the simple truth that 'killing women and children is wrong, no matter if it's Palestinian children and women or Israeli'. Dr Mo also lay down the challenge to the Australian government to step up and help fund a deployable children's hospital, and to engage diplomatically with Israel to facilitate its entry to Gaza. Rebuking the prime minister's assertion that Australia wasn't a 'major player' in the Middle East, he said: 'You don't have to be a major player to feed children. You don't have to be a major player to heal children. We need healers in the Middle East, and Australia can be the healer. It can lead the world.' As Dr Mo spoke I was reminded of one of my heroes, Desmond Tutu. He was constantly urging people to recognise our shared humanity and that 'if you are neutral in times of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor'. This is indeed a time to focus on our shared humanity. And the fact that Jewish people are not Prime Minister Netanyahu, Gazans are not Hamas. Here in Australia we must come together, not turn our frustrations on our fellow Australians. Dr Mo can serve as an example to us all. After what he's seen, he has every right to rage, but chooses instead to see the pain of everyone affected by these horrors. Dr Mo was one of the first to start what he calls 'Doctor diaries', sending content from inside Nasser hospital at great personal risk in a bid to focus global attention on Gaza. It's something we've seen others continue. Everyone knows we cannot end the war alone, but we do have an important role to play as a middle power that believes in an international rules-based order. In June last year I called on the Albanese government to consider targeted sanctions against members of the Israeli government and the Israeli Defense Forces. Almost 12 months and tens of thousands more deaths later, those calls continue to grow, including from within Labor's own ranks. We should have a consistent, values-based approach to how we respond to war and disasters and how we use our humanitarian program. This includes providing an equitable amount of aid and assistance based on need, not politics. Alongside this Australia must stop exporting weapons or parts of weapons that could be used to kill and injure civilians, and start providing emergency visas to the family members of Australians. If the horror unfolding in Gaza is not our country's red line for stronger action then I don't know what is. David Pocock is an independent senator in the ACT
The National
a day ago
- General
- The National
Palestine's UN envoy breaks down during UN Security Council meeting
Riyad Mansour had a hard time speaking on the situation for his people in Gaza
The Independent
2 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Palestinian UN envoy breaks down in tears over children dying in Gaza
A Palestinian UN envoy broke down in tears over children dying in Gaza, delivering an emotional address to the Security Council on Wednesday (28 May) as he described the "unbearable" suffering of Palestinian children amid the ongoing war. Riyad Mansour struggled to hold back his emotions, saying that he has grandchildren and he 'knows what they mean to their families'. Slamming his fist on the table, he said that Palestinians all around the country are 'outraged' by the loss of life. Mr Mansour said more than 1,300 Palestinian children have been killed and around 4,000 injured since Israel resumed military operations in Gaza following the collapse of a ceasefire in March.
Days of Palestine
2 days ago
- Politics
- Days of Palestine
GMO: At Least 10 Killed by Israeli Forces at U.S.-Backed Aid Distribution Point
DayofPal– At least 10 Palestinians have been killed and more than 60 injured over the past 48 hours after Israeli forces opened fire on civilians gathering for humanitarian aid in southern Gaza, according to the enclave's Government Media Office. The attacks occurred near a distribution point operated by the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a United States-backed organization whose involvement in aid delivery has drawn harsh criticism from humanitarian agencies and United Nations officials. In a statement issued Wednesday, the Gaza Government Media Office accused Israeli forces of 'directly targeting hungry Palestinian civilians' who had gathered to receive food and supplies at the GHF's site in Rafah. While the exact timeline and number of separate shooting incidents remain unclear, casualties were reported on both days. 'These locations were transformed into death traps under the occupation's gunfire,' the statement read, calling the shootings a 'heinous crime.' The disturbing scenes come just a day after footage circulated widely online showing thousands of desperate Palestinians corralled into cage-like lines as they clamored for aid at the GHF distribution centre. The GHF, which on Wednesday opened its second of four planned aid centres across Gaza, has faced growing scrutiny over its role in the besieged enclave. The aid delivery model has been roundly condemned by UN officials and members of the humanitarian community, who argue that effective and secure aid distribution could resume if Israel lifted restrictions and allowed seasoned humanitarian agencies to manage the effort. Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), labelled the GHF operation a 'distraction from atrocities' and called for Israel to enable the UN's established aid system to resume its 'life-saving work.' Speaking at a UN Security Council meeting in New York, diplomats from Algeria, France, and the United Kingdom echoed that plea, urging Israel to lift restrictions on aid access and allow unimpeded humanitarian deliveries into Gaza. Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian ambassador to the UN, accused Israel of weaponizing aid, stating that it was being used as 'a tool of war.' Al Jazeera's UN correspondent Kristen Saloomey reported that Sigrid Kaag, the UN's Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, and Feroze Sidhwa, a surgeon who recently returned from a humanitarian mission in Gaza, also briefed the council. Both called urgently for a ceasefire and the restoration of full humanitarian operations. Israel's ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, pushed back on the criticism, accusing the UN of obstructing aid efforts and demanding a retraction from UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher for previously accusing Israel of committing genocide. The Gaza Strip, home to over two million Palestinians, remains under severe humanitarian strain amid ongoing attacks, with food, water, and medical aid in critically short supply. The UN and aid organizations have repeatedly warned that without immediate and unrestricted access, famine and mass civilian casualties are imminent. Shortlink for this post:
The Guardian
2 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
UN envoy breaks down in tears over death of children in Gaza
Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, delivered an emotional address to the security council. He broke down in tears as he described the suffering of Palestinian children and the ongoing war in Gaza. He slammed his fist on the table, pausing his speech, and told the summit: 'I have grandchildren, I know what they mean to their families.' It has been 600 days since the war in Gaza began, killing more than 54,000 Palestinians
