Canada, Australia, New Zealand: “Immediate Ceasefire in Gaza”
“The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. Human suffering is unacceptable”
A new call for Israel to stop attacks in Gaza has come from Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. The three leaders signed a joint statement calling on Israel to heed the concerns of the international community. “The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. Human suffering is unacceptable. The protection of civilians is fundamental and is a requirement of international humanitarian law. Palestinian civilians cannot be forced to pay the price for the defeat of Hamas. This has got to stop.”
The statement also condemned Hamas for the atrocities committed on October 7 and the ongoing terrorist attacks: “Hamas must lay down its arms and release all hostages. We do not see any role for Hamas in the future governance of Gaza.”
But in the meantime, Israel must respond to the International Court of Justice, which in recent days has declared the occupation of Palestinian territories and colonizer settlements illegal. A view that was rejected by the Israeli government, which defined it as “wrong and one-sided.”
Heads of State Justin Trudeau (Canada), Anthony Albanese (Australia), and Christopher Luxon (New Zealand) concluded:
“We fully support the Comprehensive Ceasefire Agreement proposed by President Biden and endorsed by the UN Security Council. We ask the conflicting parties to accept the agreement. Any delay will only result in more lives being lost.”