The Australian government has chosen to abstain from voting in the United Nations resolution calling for a humanitarian truce in Gaza.
The proposed resolution called for an “immediate, durable, and sustained humanitarian truce” to end hostilities, framing the situation in Gaza as “illegal Israeli actions in Occupied East Jerusalem and the rest of the occupied Palestinian territory.”
However, it failed to mention Hamas at all.
The representative of Australia to the UN, Ambassador James Larsen, said Australia abstained due to the failure to name Hamas as the perpetrator of the Oct. 7 attack that triggered the war.
He also called for the immediate and unconditional release of hostages held by Hamas.
“We agree with the central proposition—that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is dire and human suffering is widespread and unacceptable,” he said.
“However, we abstained with disappointment because we believe this resolution as drafted was incomplete.”
Mr. Larsen said that the UN General Assembly can affirm Israel’s national sovereignty without denying the aspirations of the Palestinian people, including statehood.
“Aspirations for peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians will recede even further if today’s generations are motivated by grief and resentment resulting from this crisis,” he said, reiterating Australia’s support for a two-state solution.
He added that the assembly could affirm Israel’s right to defend itself while outlining what approach was deemed appropriate.
“It matters for innocent civilians, who should not pay for horrors perpetrated by Hamas,” Mr. Larsen said.
“And it matters for Israel’s ongoing security, which would face grave threats if conflict were to spill over across the region.”
Meanwhile, the United States was one of the 14 nations that voted against the resolution.
Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, America’s representative to the U.N., said a key missing word was “hostage.”
“This resolution makes no mention of the innocent people—including citizens of many of you in this room—many of you here today who have citizens who are being held hostage by Hamas and other terrorist groups,” she said.
“These are omissions of evil. And they give cover to, and they empower Hamas’ brutality. And no Member State—no Member State—should allow that to happen. You should not let it stand.”
The Palestinian representative Riyad Mansour welcomed the voting result and said it sent a clear message that the war “has to stop.”
Response Back Home
The Australian Greens criticised the decision to abstain, calling on the Labor government to push for a ceasefire.“Labor’s failure to vote with most of the world for a ceasefire is unacceptable. Labor needs to work towards peace, not war, in Gaza and the Middle East,” Greens leader Adam Bandt wrote on X.
“How many more thousands of people must be killed for Labor to join the call for a ceasefire?”
Meanwhile, Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-CEO Alex Ryvchin supported the vote, adding that the UN should call for the “unconditional surrender” of Hamas and immediate release of the hostages.
“Hamas has used truces in the past to replenish its arsenal,” he said in a statement.
Amendment Defeated
Prior to the Jordan-led resolution, the U.N. Assembly failed to pass an amendment calling for the unequivocal rejection and condemnation of the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks by Hamas.It failed to reach the two-thirds majority, scoring 88 votes in favour, 55 against, and 23 abstentions.
Australia and the United States support the Canadian amendment, which also called for the immediate and unconditional release of more than 200 hostages.
