Australia Calls for a "Sustainable Ceasefire" in Gaza

Australia has officially called for a “sustainable ceasefire” in Gaza in a joint statement with New Zealand and Canada.

Despite abstaining from voting on a ceasefire in the UN General Assembly in October, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has now joined the majority by voting in favour.

Albanese, alongside New Zealand’s Christopher Luxon and Canada’s Justin Trudeau, also expressed their disappointment in the short pause in attacks last month – a deal between Israel and Hamas that was first brokered by the US, Egypt and Qatar – in a joint statement.

"We want to see this pause resumed and support urgent international efforts towards a sustainable ceasefire," they said in the statement.

"This cannot be one-sided. Hamas must release all hostages, stop using Palestinian civilians as human shields, and lay down its arms."

In the same statement, the three leaders denounced Israeli settler violence, which has been an ongoing and escalating issue in the West Bank. The statement also expressed support for Palestinians' right to self-determination, while declaring Hamas had no rule in the future administration of Gaza.

"Australia, Canada, and New Zealand mourn every Israeli and Palestinian innocent life which has been lost in this conflict and express our condolences to all families and communities affected by the violence,” they said.

“We remain deeply concerned by the scale of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and ongoing risks to all Palestinian civilians".

Several hours after the statement was released, the UN General Assembly held an emergency special session in New York to vote on a draft resolution which called for an immediate ceasefire.

The motion passed with a total of 153 nations in favour, ten against, and 23 abstentions. It's non-binding, but it applies significant political pressure on the state of Israel.

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Adele is the Junior Writer & Producer for VICE AU/NZ. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter here.

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