After 100 Days of War On Gaza, Penny Wong Visits Israel and Occupied Palestine

Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong will travel to occupied Palestinian territories this week on a Middle East trip that will take her to the West Bank, Jordan, Israel and the United Arab Emirates. It will be the first time Wong has visited the region in the 100 days since Israel’s bombardment of Gaza began.

Wong will meet with Palestinians suffering under Israeli violence in the West Bank and survivors of the October 7 Hamas attack, families of Israeli hostages, as well as her Israeli and Palestinian political counterparts.

In a statement, Wong said the focus of her trip will be “to advocate for a pathway out of the current conflict, an increase in vital humanitarian assistance, upholding of international law and greater protection for civilians, preventing regional escalation, and working toward a lasting peace”. 

“I will express our profound concern that there are increasingly few safe places for Gazans. I will reiterate our call for safe, unimpeded and sustained humanitarian access so that food, water, fuel, medicine and essential assistance to reach people in desperate need, and so civilians can get to safety.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said at a press conference on Monday now was an appropriate time for Wong’s trip “to support the diplomatic efforts that will be required to have a durable peace in the Middle East that is in everyone’s interest”.

He claimed Australia was “not a central player in the Middle East, but we are a respected voice”.

When questioned about his views on South Africa’s genocide case against Israel in the International Court of Justice, he said he had no comment. 

“In general, our position tends to be that we don’t comment on matters set up before courts.

“We obviously are not a participant in the process, [and] don’t intend to be a participant in the process. What we want is to see a political solution, and that is primarily what the United States has said as well.”

This comes after Australia voted with the majority of United Nations members to call for a sustainable ceasefire in Gaza, after it previously abstained from voting. The US voted against the motion.

In the past 100 days, Israel’s bombardment and ground assault on Gaza has killed at least 23,700 Palestinians, including 9,600 children, according to the Palestine Health Ministry and Save the Children.

At least 60,000 people have been injured in Gaza, including at least 8,663 children.

Almost the entirety of Gaza’s 2.3 million population is suffering food insecurity and 9 in 10 Gazans are going without food for periods of 24 hours or more, according to the World Food Programme.

1.9 million people living in Gaza have been displaced and hundreds of thousands of homes have been destroyed. 

Of the roughly 200 Israeli hostages taken by Hamas following the October 7 attack, the Israel Defence Force says 136 people remain captive in Gaza.

Aleksandra Bliszczyk is the Deputy Editor of VICE Australia. Follow her on Instagram.

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