Australia has joined a group of major democracies in writing a strongly worded letter to Israel urging it to comply with international law.
All countries belonging to the Group of Seven major democracies, apart from the United States, have signed the letter, Reuters reports, along with Australia, South Korea, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden and Finland. It also reiterates the countries' "outrage" at the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel which triggered the conflict.Foreign Minister Penny Wong says the government no longer believes recognition of Palestinian statehood can only come at the end of an Israel-Palestine peace process.
But it called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to do more, including working towards a "sustainable ceasefire", facilitating further evacuations and resuming "electricity, water and telecommunication services".Since Hamas's October 7 attack, Israel's Gaza offensive has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians, local health officials say.
Aid agencies say they are running out of food in southern Gaza and fuel is dwindling, while the US Agency for International Development and the World Food Program say famine has already taken hold in Gaza's north.