The Prime Ministers of Australia, Canada and New Zealand have declared that a ceasefire in Gaza is “needed desperately.”
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese joined with Justin Trudeau of Canada and Christopher Luxon of New Zealand urged Israel in a statement to “listen to the concerns of the international community.”
The statement reflects shared concerns among Australia, Canada and New Zealand regarding the toll of the war in Gaza and the risk of escalation across the Middle East.
It was the third time that the Prime Ministers of Australia, Canada and New Zealand have issued a joint statement about developments in the Middle East.
In December 2023, the same leaders pressed for “a sustainable ceasefire.” In February, they spoke out against the prospect of an Israeli ground offensive in Rafah in southern Gaza.
In the joint statement, the Prime Ministers said that they stood fully behind “the comprehensive ceasefire deal” that was outlined by the US president, Joe Biden, in late May and subsequently endorsed by the UN security council.
They called on all parties “to agree to the deal” and warned that any delay in securing a ceasefire would “only see more lives lost.”
Albanese, Trudeau and Luxon reiterated that they were “committed to working towards an irreversible path to achieving a two-state solution, where Israelis and Palestinians can live securely within internationally recognised borders.”
“This is the only realistic option to achieve a just and enduring peace,” they said.
Additionally, the statement described the situation in Gaza as “catastrophic” and said that the human suffering was “unacceptable” and “cannot continue.”
The three Prime Ministers emphasized that they remained “unequivocal in our condemnation of Hamas for the atrocities of October 7 and ongoing acts of terror,” urging the group to “lay down its arms and release all hostages.”
They noted that Israel “must listen to the concerns of the international community,” saying that the protection of civilians was “paramount and a requirement under international humanitarian law.”
“Palestinian civilians cannot be made to pay the price of defeating Hamas. It must end,” the statement said.
The statement also included some strong language directed at Israel in the wake of the recent International Court of Justice ruling that the continued occupation of territory Israel seized in 1967, including the West Bank, was illegal under international law.
“We call on Israel to respond substantively to the ICJ’s advisory opinion, and ensure accountability for ongoing acts of violence against Palestinians by extremist settlers, reverse the record expansion of settlements in the West Bank which are illegal under international law, and work towards a two-state solution.”
Anthony Albanese, Justin Trudeau and Christopher Luxon
To date, the Israeli government has labelled the ICJ ruling as “not legally binding” and “blatantly one-sided.”
Concerns About Further Escalation Raised
Moreover, the three leaders said that they were “gravely concerned about the prospect of further escalation across the region,” including between Hezbollah and Israel.
They warned that further hostilities would “put tens of thousands of civilians in Lebanon and Israel at risk.”
According to them, an escalation of conflict across Israel’s northern border with Lebanon would have “disastrous consequences” for both countries, and that “only makes a ceasefire in Gaza more urgent.”
The three leaders urged “all involved actors to exercise restraint and de-escalate.”
However, the president of the Zionist Federation of Australia, Jeremy Leibler, criticised the leaders’ statement.
He claimed that any attempt to pressure Israel “to end the war unilaterally only serves to embolden Hamas and prolong the war.”
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