Luxon, Albanese and Trudeau say Gaza ceasefire ‘desperately needed’
Friday, 26 July 2024
The prime ministers of New Zealand, Australia and Canada say a ceasefire in Gaza is “needed urgently”.
The joint statement from Christopher Luxon, Anthony Albanese and Justin Trudeau described the situation in Gaza as catastrophic.
“The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue.”
“We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of Hamas for the atrocities of October 7 and ongoing acts of terror.”
The war in Gaza, sparked by Hamas’ attack on southern Israel, has killed more than 39,000 people and triggered widespread hunger, according to the territory’s Health Ministry.
Most of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have been displaced.
“Hamas must lay down its arms and release all hostages. We see no role for Hamas in the future governance of Gaza,” the prime ministers’ statement read.
They urged Israel to listen to the “concerns of the international community”, adding that the protection of civilians was a requirement under international humanitarian law.
“Palestinian civilians cannot be made to pay the price of defeating Hamas. It must end.”
“An immediate ceasefire is needed desperately. Civilians must be protected, and a sustained increase in the flow of assistance throughout Gaza is needed to address the humanitarian situation.”
The prime minsters supported the ceasefire deal outlined by US President Joe Biden and endorsed by the UN Security Council.
“We call on parties to the conflict to agree to the deal. Any delay will only see more lives lost.”
Best case scenario was a two-state solution, where Israelis and Palestinians could live securely within international recognised borders, they said in the statement.
“This is the only realistic option to achieve a just and enduring peace.
“We call on Israel to respond substantively to the ICJ’s advisory opinion, and ensure accountability for ongoing acts of violence against Palestinians by extremist settlers, reverse the record expansion of settlements in the West Bank which are illegal under international law, and work towards a two-state solution.”
The prime ministers had grave concerns about the prospect of further escalation in the region.
“We condemn Iran’s attack against Israel of 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 terror group Hezbollah, cease their attacks.
“We also condemn the Houthis’ ongoing reckless acts, including their indiscriminate drone attack in Tel Aviv and ongoing attacks on international shipping.”
They were also concerned by the hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel along the ‘Blue Line’.
“It has led to the displacement of thousands of Israelis along the northern border and thousands of Lebanese along the southern border. Further hostilities put tens of thousands of civilians in Lebanon and Israel at risk.”
“This escalation in hostilities only makes a ceasefire in Gaza more urgent. We urge all involved actors to exercise restraint and de-escalate.”