Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Grogan for her question. What I would say on this issue is that the future for both Israelis and Palestinians depends on a just and enduring peace and a two-state solution. Clearly, the status quo is failing all. As I have said before in this place, we mourn every innocent life which has been lost in the conflict and we express our condolences to all families and communities affected by the violence.

We unequivocally condemn Hamas's terror attacks on Israel on 7 October, the heinous acts of sexual violence perpetrated in those attacks and the reneging on the recent truce arrangements. We call for Hamas to immediately and unconditionally release all remaining hostages.

We have clearly affirmed Israel's right to defend itself as guaranteed by the UN charter and we have said that, in doing so, Israel must respect international humanitarian law. Civilians and civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, must be protected. More than 60 per cent of residential buildings in Gaza are reported by the United Nations to have been destroyed or damaged and nearly eight in 10 civilians have been displaced. Civilians who fled northern Gaza are now being pushed further south and, as the conflict spreads south, there are increasingly few safe places to go. The world has witnessed a harrowing number of civilian deaths, including of children. This must not continue.

US Secretary of State Lloyd Austin is an expert on urban warfare against terrorists from experience fighting ISIS and, like us, is a steadfast friend of Israel. This week he shared his wisdom. He said:

If you drive [the civilian population] into the arms of the enemy, you replace a tactical victory with a strategic defeat.