Stephen Bates (Brisbane, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Israel's invasion of Gaza, which this parliament has backed, has seen to the death of more than 28,000 people—children, mums, dads, teachers, nurses, countless journalists, doctors. The City University of New York's Graduate Center has worked to map destruction across several of the war zones. From space, Gaza is now a different colour. Israel's offensive has likely either damaged or destroyed more than two-thirds of all structures in northern Gaza, including tens of thousands of homes as well as schools and hospitals. In fact, UN monitors have estimated that 70 per cent of school buildings across Gaza have been damaged. More than a million people are displaced from their homes, starving, living in appalling and cramped conditions. Many are in camps that are flooding, with one toilet for hundreds of people and extremely limited options to bathe.

There are, though, humanitarian organisations on the ground in Gaza. These agencies, against all the odds, are trying their best to prevent deaths. One of the largest of these, though, had their funding cut by this government. The government responded to allegations with no solid evidence to deprive millions of Palestinians of help that is desperately needed. The government's choice to suspend funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, UNRWA, in Gaza was a grave mistake. The needs of the people in Gaza have not suspended. The needs for basic supplies of shelter, of clean water, have not suspended. There are surgeries being performed with dirty or no water at all, with no anaesthetics, with no chance to sterilise tools and with no drugs to fight resulting infections. It is inhumane and it is heartbreaking.

This government must restore and maintain funding to UNRWA as a matter of priority. And it's time for Australia to join other countries and uphold our obligations under international law to prevent genocide. Despite the evidence presented at the International Court of Justice, where it was concluded that there is a plausible case of genocide happening in Gaza, this government has not withdrawn its support for Israel's invasion, called for a permanent ceasefire or committed to ending military exports to the Israeli government. What is the point of a government recognising the International Court of Justice when it then takes no actions in light of its findings?

And why is it that the ICJ came to this conclusion? Well, it was based in part on statements from the Israeli government itself, such as defence ministers stating, 'We are fighting human animals; we will eliminate everything.' This invasion is well beyond self-defence. This has become a slaughter. Israel's imposition of a total siege now threatens to kill hundreds of thousands of Palestinians over the coming months through hunger and infectious diseases.

The laying to waste of Gaza through indiscriminate mass bombardments has already seen whole residential neighbourhoods razed. This situation deserves international pressure. It's our best chance to stop this carnage. Australia has a role to play in this, and the government has a responsibility as well. We have seen the majority of the world's countries call for a full and permanent ceasefire. The foreign minister is on record as saying that the government has taken a constructive approach to this conflict, but the actions of the government demonstrate nothing of the sort. Labor cannot keep sitting on its hands while this horror goes on. Enough is enough.

As parliament sits today, Israel has announced its intention to start a ground incursion into Rafah, telling civilians to move. Rafah was supposed to be the last remotely safe space for civilians. Where are they supposed to go? More Palestinians in Gaza will be killed. Around half of those killed will be children. Statistically, a child will have been killed while I've been delivering this speech. The government must not continue its support of Israel's genocidal actions in Gaza. We want to see Palestinians and Israelis living in equal justice, in equal peace and in equal security. We must have a full and permanent ceasefire. We must have an end to the invasion and occupation. This chamber and parliament must join almost every other nation in the world and say enough is enough.

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