Gaza: Coalition backs US demands on Israel
Written by admin on October 16, 2024
Coalition foreign affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham says Israel should “heed” demands from the United States to improve the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin wrote to their Israeli counterparts over the weekend calling on Israel to allow more aid into the wartorn Palestinian territory within 30 days.
They suggested US military support could be at risk if “urgent and sustained actions” were not taken to improve the situation in Gaza, where 1.9 million displaced Palestinians face rampant disease and famine after a year of war.
Senator Birmingham said on Wednesday it was “important that Israel heed” the US and “ensure those humanitarian supplies do reach people, innocent people, who need it in Gaza.”
“It’s certainly within their power to provide the flow for aid,” he told Sky News.
“Of course, there are huge problems that Gaza is going to face in terms of rebuilding.”
“It’s why Hamas should release the hostages, agree to a ceasefire and enable a proper process … for not just humanitarian aid, but planning for the future of the people living in Gaza, planning for the rebuilding to occur, all of which could occur if Hamas ceased hostilities, surrendered its terrorism infrastructure, most importantly, freely gave up all of the hostages that they continue to hold.”
Upward of 40,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel’s relentless response to Hamas’ October 7 terrorist attacks last year.
Hamas, the Iran-backed Islamist group that runs Gaza, killed 1200 and injured thousands more in its brutal attacks last year, with militants taking hundreds more hostage as they retreated.
The US has been unwavering in its support for Israel, and just sent an advanced antimissile system to its Middle East ally along with a crew to operate it.
But with the civilian death toll so high in Gaza, pressure is mounting on Israel’s Western allies.
Mr Blinken and Mr Lloyd wrote that Washington was “particularly concerned” that Israel was “halting commercial imports, denying or impeding nearly 90 percent of humanitarian movements between northern and southern Gaza in September, continuing burdensome and excessive dual-use restrictions, and instituting new vetting and onerous liability and customs requirements for humanitarian staff and shipments”.
They added that, paired “with increased lawlessness and looting” were “contributing to an accelerated deterioration in the conditions in Gaza”.
They said the action must be begin immediately, and that failure to act may “have implications for US policy”.
