Andrew Charlton (Parramatta, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Australia is a respected voice on the conflict in the Middle East, even if we are not a central player in the Middle East. The government is using Australia's voice to advocate for the release of hostages, the protection of civilians, humanitarian access and a pathway out of this conflict towards a future of peace and security for all.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong has expressed concerns about the Israeli military operation in Rafah:

Many of Israel's friends, including Australia, have expressed deep concerns about reports of an Israeli military operation in Rafah. There is growing international consensus: Israel must listen to its friends and it must listen to the international community.

There are more than a million civilians sheltering in and around Rafah. Many civilians who were displaced in Israeli operations in the north have moved south to this area, often under Israeli direction.

Israel now must exercise special care in relation to these civilians. Not doing so would have devastating consequences for those civilians and cause serious harm to Israel's own interests.

Those are the words of our foreign minister, who is doing an outstanding job managing this conflict in the best way possible and ensuring that Australia is a strong voice at the table, promoting peace, stability and sovereignty for all.

It is of deep regret that the government does not have partners in this effort in the opposition and the Greens, who are only looking for how they can use this crisis to whip up anger for votes. If they were sincere in their concern about the crisis in the Middle East, they would be engaged on a pathway to peace and keeping our community unified. But they would rather see the community divided, to pick off votes. The Greens should understand that, right now, there are more than 130 hostages still being held by Hamas. And I remind the opposition that we are faced with reports from the UN that 400,000 Palestinians in Gaza are starving, and a million more are at risk of starvation. An estimated 1.7 million people in Gaza are internally displaced, and there are increasingly few safe places for Palestinians to go.

Moreover, there is a real risk of regional escalation. The Albanese government is working with partners to manage the risk of regional escalation. But we don't have partners in that effort in this parliament. The opposition and the Greens are not interested in a unified community and a pathway to peace; they're just looking at what's in it for them. Israelis deserve better, Palestinians deserve better and Australians deserve better.

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