There are serious constraints preventing this and other aid getting to the people who need it. While there has been some access, much more assistance is required from parties to the conflict if this aid is to reach Gazans. This is why so many countries, like Australia, have been calling for humanitarian pauses on hostilities as a necessary first step. The government has heard the calls for a ceasefire. The tragic reality is it can take a long time to reach a ceasefire between parties to a conflict. The people of Gaza can’t wait for that.
Senator CHISHOLM (Queensland—Assistant Minister for Education, Assistant Minister for Regional Development and Deputy Manager of Government Business in the Senate) (16:28): It is impossible to absorb the harrowing images from the ongoing conflict in Israel and Gaza with anything less than distress and horror. The widespread human suffering we are witnessing means that a just and enduring peace in the region could not be more pressing. The government has said repeatedly that the future of both Israelis and Palestinians depends on this just and enduring peace being realised.
It is clear that the status quo is failing everyone. Some 1,400 Israelis were killed by Hamas on 7 October, the biggest loss of Jewish life on any day since the Holocaust. We condemn these terrorist attacks unequivocally. They cannot and should not be justified. With more than 200 people still held captive, we call for Hamas to immediately and unconditionally release all hostages. In Israel’s response to those attacks, thousands of Palestinians have been killed, including more than 3,500 children, as reported by UNICEF. In affirming Israel’s right to defend itself, Israel’s friends, including Australia, have consistently emphasised that the way it does so matters. We continue to call for international law to be observed and for the protection of civilian lives.
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens by the day. On 26 October, Foreign Minister Wong announced that Australia would provide an additional $15 million in humanitarian assistance for civilians affected by the conflict in Gaza, in the West Bank and across the region. This funding is in addition to the $10 million already committed by the Australian government and brings our total package of assistance to $25 million since 7 October.
There are serious constraints preventing this and other aid getting to the people who need it. While there has been some access, much more assistance is required from parties to the conflict if this aid is to reach Gazans. This is why so many countries, like Australia, have been calling for humanitarian pauses on hostilities as a necessary first step. The government has heard the calls for a ceasefire. The tragic reality is it can take a long time to reach a ceasefire between parties to a conflict. The people of Gaza can’t wait for that.
It’s clear that the Australian communities are experiencing deep distress and pain, felt most acutely in our Jewish and Palestinian communities. It is essential that we do not let the very real pain caused by this conflict drive Australians apart. With this in mind, the government has developed a social cohesion package to support Australian communities affected by the ongoing conflict. This includes a $25 million grant to the Executive Council of Australian Jewry to immediately improve safety at Jewish schools and preschools across Australia, and $25 million to Australian Palestinian, Muslim and other communities to support a range of safety, security, mental health, cohesion and education objectives.
It’s the role of every senator and every member in this place to remember they also have a responsibility when engaging in this debate. We all have a responsibility to engage responsibly, respectfully and constructively. Engaging in inflammatory rhetoric not only is extremely harmful to many Australians but also undermines some of our greatest strengths: our diversity, our tolerance and our values. And it does nothing to advance the cause of peace, a cause which is the responsibility of everyone in this place.