Prime Minister Anthony Albanese joins Canada and New Zealand to call for Israel-Hamas ceasefire

Australia has shifted its position on the Israel-Hamas conflict, calling for both sides to urgently agree to another ceasefire and to release the remaining Israeli citizens taken hostage.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has joined his Canadian and New Zealand counterparts in criticising the actions of Israel and Hamas as the violence and destruction in Gaza escalates.

“We are alarmed at the diminishing safe space for civilians in Gaza. The price of defeating Hamas cannot be the continuous suffering of all Palestinian civilians,” Mr Albanese said in an unprecedented joint statement released on Wednesday with Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and New Zealand’s Chris Luxon.

“We remain deeply concerned by the scale of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and ongoing risks to all Palestinian civilians. Safe and unimpeded humanitarian access must be increased and sustained.”

The three world leaders — from nations of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, along with the US and UK — condemned the October 7 terror attacks and urged Hamas to stop using Palestinian citizens as human shields and to give up their weapons.

This is at the same time as the trio warned Israel against deadly retaliation in an attempt to reoccupy the Gaza Strip.

Israeli tanks and warplanes have been carrying out new strikes on Southern Gaza since the first ceasefire last month with the Palestinian death toll rising to more than 18,000 people.

“There is no role for Hamas in the future governance of Gaza,” the statement read.

“We support Palestinians’ right to self-determination. We oppose the forcible displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, the re-occupation of Gaza, any reduction in territory, and any use of siege or blockade. We emphasise that Gaza must no longer be used as a platform for terrorism.

“We condemn Hamas’ unacceptable treatment of hostages and call for the immediate and unconditional release of all remaining hostages.

“We recognise Israel’s right to exist and right to defend itself. In defending itself, Israel must respect international humanitarian law. Civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected.”

Mr Albanese in October condemned the attacks on Israel by Hamas in Federal Parliament, calling the terror group the enemy of all peace-loving Palestinian people.

At the time, he said Australia “stands with Israel and recognises its inherent right to defend itself” but has since strengthened its stance on Israel’s war against Hamas.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong has, however, been calling for a ceasefire since October.

“Australia shares the grave concerns that I have articulated previously about the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza. Human suffering is widespread and it is unacceptable,” Senator Wong said on Wednesday.

“This is a collective statement about the need for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire that the world is supporting. This is not a unilateral decision by Australia.

“A sustainable ceasefire can’t be one-sided and can’t be unconditional and that is my position too.”

Senator Wong is expected to visit Israel and other countries in the Middle East next month.

Her Labor colleague Josh Burns is on a parliamentary delegation trip in Israel at the moment, where he has pushed back at those calling for a ceasefire in Gaza after visiting the site of a Hamas massacre in Israel.

Shadow foreign affairs minister Simon Birmingham, who is also in Israel on the bipartisan trip, said the Prime Minister’s statement had tried to be “all things to all people” but agreed “those are the key points”.

Emergency Management Minister Murray Watt would not say whether Israel was losing support, but argued the way it defended itself mattered.

“I think that everyone who watches this conflict unfold on their television screens is really disturbed about the loss of life that we’re seeing go on,” Senator Watt told ABC Radio.

“We’ve been absolutely unequivocal in our condemnation of Hamas (and) while we recognise Israel’s right to exist and right to defend itself, how they do so matters and that Israel must respect international humanitarian law.”

Australia on Wednesday voted in favour of a UN resolution demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza with 153 members in favour, 10 against — including the US and Israel — and 23 abstaining.

Liberal MP Julian Leeser said the Albanese Government’s support for the UN motion did not mention Hamas and was a “tawdry” move to prevent its inner-city seats falling to the Greens.

“This is a decision about Grayndler, not Gaza,” Mr Leeser said, referring to the Prime Minister’s Sydney seat.

“It’s about Labor’s tussle with the Greens rather than Australia’s support of free people. That’s how tawdry this call for a ceasefire is.”