Foreign Minister Penny Wong has told the UN Security Council that the “humanitarian catastrophe” in the Middle East must end and a “path to lasting peace” must be secured.
The comments were made in an address to the security council, of which Australia is not a member, on Friday (AEST). Wong was taking part in an open debate on the maintenance of international peace and security
They come as Israel continues its bombardment of the Palestinian enclave Gaza sparked by the October 7 assault by Hamas-led militants, and escalating conflict with Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
Wong said Lebanon “cannot become the next Gaza” and repeated Australia’s calls for a ceasefire there, as well as in Gaza.
She also repeated calls for an Israel-Palestinian two-state solution, saying it was the “only hope to finally break the endless cycle of violence” in the Middle East.
“The international community — including the security council — must work together to pave a path to lasting peace,” Wong said.
“We cannot wait for the parties to do this themselves; we cannot allow any party to obstruct the prospect of peace.”
Wong said “war has rules — even when confronting terrorists” and “defending borders” and that international humanitarian law must be adhered to in order to limit the suffering of civilians.
“But in conflicts around the world, this is not happening,” Wong said.
She said more than 40,000 Palestinians had been killed in Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, which came after Hamas’ 7 October attack on southern Israel in which more than 1,200 people were killed and about 250 people taken hostage.
More than 300 aid workers have also been killed, Wong said. Among them is Australian Zomi Frankcom, who was killed by an Israeli airstrike.
“Gaza is the deadliest place on earth to be an aid worker,” Wong said.
“We cannot protect civilians without protecting the aid workers who are delivering food, water and medicine they need to survive.”
She said Hamas must release the remaining hostages taken during its assault.
Australia lists both Hamas — Gaza’s rulers — and Hezbollah —a Lebanese Islamist political party and militant group that holds just under half the seats in Lebanon’s parliament — as terrorist organisations.
She said Hezbollah were “terrorists” that had not complied with a 2006 Security Council resolution that was intended to stop hostilities between the group and Israel that came amid the Lebanon War that year.
“But Lebanese civilians should not pay the price,” she said.
“Lebanon cannot become the next Gaza. Just as in Gaza, Australia calls for an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon.”
More than 600 people have been killed since Monday in Israel’s strikes on Lebanon.
Hezbollah has fired hundreds of missiles at targets in Israel including its commercial hub Tel Aviv, although Israel’s aerial defence system has ensured that the damage has been limited.
Israel has rejected global calls for a ceasefire with the Hezbollah movement. Israel’s air force says it’s preparing the way for a potential ground assault, and there are heightened fears of an all-out regional war.
With reporting by the Reuters news agency via the Australian Associated Press.
