Shadow foreign minister Simon Birmingham has raised concerns a ceasefire in the Middle East conflict would enable Hamas to “rearm, regroup, and then repeat” past atrocities.
In a recent United Nations resolution, the Senator believes Australia should have stood with AUKUS allies the United States and the United Kingdom.
The United States opposed the resolution which did not mention Hamas at all, while the United Kingdom abstained.
Australia voted for the motion, breaking ranks with the U.S. and the UK, along with Israel and other European nations.
Senator Birmingham, speaking from Tel Aviv where he travelled to Israel on a bilateral trip, told ABC Radio that simply saying “let’s just have a ceasefire” doesn’t recognise that “Hamas is committed to repeating those atrocities again.”
Mr. Birmingham explained Hamas would use a “ceasefire to rearm, regroup, and then repeat the types of atrocities that have been undertaken in the past.”
The U.S., Israel, Austria, Czechia, Guatemala, Liberia, Micronesia, Nauru, Papua New Guinea and Paraguay voted against the U.N. resolution demanding an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” and the “immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, as well as ensuring humanitarian access.”
The resolution also reiterated a demand that all parties comply with their obligations under international law, “including humanitarian law, notably with regard to the protection of civilians.”
Mr. Birmingham highlighted that given Hamas’ commitment to repeat the atrocities, Australia should have stood with allies when the amendments were unsuccessful.
“That’s why the Albanese government should have been strong enough that when proposed amendments and amendments Australia supported were unsuccessful with that motion, we should have stood with our AUKUS allies, the United States and the United Kingdom, in not supporting that motion,” he said.
“Because it does overly simplify a deeply complicated matter and to simply think that Israel laying down arms will have anything other than the consequence of Hamas rearming and regrouping is to ignore reality and ignore the history of this situation.”
The U.S. amendment had called for the general assembly to include a statement that “unequivocally rejects and condemns the heinous terrorist attacks by Hamas that took place in Israel starting Oct. 7, 2023, and the taking of hostages.”
While in Israel, Mr. Birmingham inspected sites of the Hamas attacks and met with Israeli government authorities and spokespeople for the Palestinian authority.
Wong Defends Australia’s Position
Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Australia would have preferred the resolution supported by Australia referenced Hamas and the attack on Israel.“Australia continues to condemn the ongoing acts of terror by Hamas, its use of human shields, its use of civilian infrastructure to launch attacks on Israel,” she said.
“Australia has consistently affirmed Israel’s right to defend itself, and in doing so we have said Israel must respect international humanitarian law. Civilians and civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, must be protected.”
However, the statement outlined the three nations were “deeply concerned” about the scale of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the ongoing risks to Palestinian civilians.
“We want to see this pause resumed and support urgent international efforts towards a sustainable ceasefire. This cannot be one-sided. Hamas must release all hostages, stop using Palestinian civilians as human shields, and lay down its arms,” the statement said.
“There is no role for Hamas in the future governance of Gaza. We support Palestinians’ right to self-determination. We oppose the forcible displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, the re-occupation of Gaza, any reduction in territory, and any use of siege or blockade.”
Ms. Wong will visit Israel and the West Bank in January.
