Australian Premier Calls on Israel to Take Responsibility

(MENAFN) Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday called on Israel to accept its “share of responsibility” for the humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip, while reiterating his call for a ceasefire in the territory.

“Tens of thousands of civilians have been killed, desperate people, including children denied vital aid; aid workers killed, including Australian, … journalists killed (while) trying to bring the truth to light,” Albanese stated during a UN conference on Palestine held in New York City.

The gathering took place just one day before the 80th session of the UN General Assembly.

Albanese highlighted the “continued illegal expansion of settlements on the West Bank and an increased settler violence; threats to annex parts of Palestine and permanently displace the Palestinian people.”

He warned that “such conduct risk reaching a two-state solution -- that is where the current road leads.”

Australia is among several countries that have recognized Palestine ahead of the General Assembly meeting, which begins Tuesday, as Israel continues its genocidal campaign in Gaza.
“We must choose a different path, we must break a cycle of violence and build something better,” Albanese said.

Acknowledging the aspirations of the Palestinian people is “about more than to seek a voice and a vote in the councils of the world,” he emphasized. “It is about a real hope for a place to call home.”

Recent investigations by UN officials concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, where over 65,300 people have died since October 2023.

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