The leaders of Australia, Canada and New Zealand have issued a joint statement calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
Anthony Albanese, along with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, issued the joint statement on Friday afternoon.
“Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of an escalation of the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel,” the statement said.
“The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue.”
The trio said they remain “unequivocal” in their condemnation of Hamas for the “atrocities of October 7 and continued acts of terrorism.”
They say Hamas must “lay down its arms” and release all hostages, and all three leaders say there is “no role” for Hamas in the future governance of Gaza.
Palestinian health officials have recently said that Israel’s ongoing ground and air campaign in Gaza since October last year has killed more than 39,000 people.
Most of the dead are believed to be civilians, with 2.3 million residents forced to flee their homes and take refuge in shelters.
Anthony Albanese calls for a ceasefire in Gaza
The statement was also signed by New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Mr. Albanese, Mr. Luxon and Mr. Trudeau urge Israel to “listen to the concerns of the international community.”
“The protection of civilians is paramount and a requirement of international humanitarian law,” the statement said.
“Palestinian civilians cannot be forced to pay the price for Hamas’ defeat. This must end.
An immediate ceasefire is desperately needed.
“Civilians must be protected and a sustained increase in the flow of aid across Gaza is needed to address the humanitarian situation.”
The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants crossed the border into Israeli communities, killing 1,200 people and taking 253 locals captive in Gaza.
The statement by the leader of Australia, New Zealand and Canada comes after US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris pressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to a ceasefire.
U.S. leaders met with Netanyahu on Thursday at the White House, where Biden was reported to have told the Israeli leader to “compromise” in order to achieve peace.
“We fully support the comprehensive ceasefire agreement outlined by President Biden and endorsed by the UN Security Council,” Albanese, Trudeau and Luxon said in the statement.
‘We call on the warring parties to accept the agreement. Any delay will only lead to the loss of more lives.
“We are committed to working towards an irreversible path to achieve a two-state solution, where Israelis and Palestinians can live in security within internationally recognized borders.”
The trio said this is the only “realistic” option to achieve peace.
They called on Israel to respond to the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice and ensure accountability for the continued acts of violence against the Palestinian people by extremist settlers.
They also called for reversing the record expansion of settlements in the West Bank, which are illegal under international law, and working toward a two-state solution.
They said they were “deeply concerned” by the prospect of further escalation across the region.
“We condemn Iran’s attack on Israel on April 13-14, call on Iran to refrain from further destabilizing actions in the Middle East, and demand that Iran and its affiliated groups, including Hezbollah, cease their attacks,” they said.
“We also condemn the Houthis’ continued reckless acts, including their indiscriminate drone attack on Tel Aviv and continued attacks on international shipping.”
Palestinian health officials have recently said that Israel’s ongoing ground and air campaign in Gaza since October last year has killed more than 39,000 people.
An explosion occurs following an Israeli airstrike on a residential building, amid the conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, on July 20.
The trio said they were “particularly concerned” by the escalation of hostilities between the Hezbollah terror group and Israel, which has led to the displacement of thousands of Israelis.
“This escalation of hostilities only makes a ceasefire in Gaza more urgent,” they said.
‘We urge all actors involved to exercise restraint and de-escalate. We support diplomatic efforts to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
‘A larger-scale war would have disastrous consequences for Israel and Lebanon, and for civilians throughout the region.’
