Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the “abhorrent attack” on Israel launched by Hamas, the armed terrorist group that controls the Gaza strip.
According to the latest information he received, Mr. Albanese said no Australians have been injured or killed by the attacks so far.
“The advice as of this morning is that no Australians are caught up but of course it’s incomplete advice,” he said, adding that there were Australian Defence Force personnel currently in Israel.
While there were concerns expressed by reporters about an escalation following Israel’s promise to respond with “powerful force,” the prime minister said that Israel has the right to defend itself.
“This is indiscriminate. Civilians being targeted, killed, and murdered, and as well, many of them being taken as hostages,” he said.
Hamas was listed as a terrorist organisation in Australia in March 2022.
It comes after Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong called for the exercise of restraint in a post on X (formerly Twitter), saying Australia “unequivocally condemns” the attacks.
“I have contacted Israel’s Ambassador to Australia to express our support for Israel following the horrific attacks by Hamas,” she said.
“Our thoughts are with those killed and injured in these attacks, their loved ones, and all others affected.”
Australian Opposition leader Peter Dutton said the “unprovoked and abhorrent” attack was a provocation.
“It is yet another example of a deliberate act of violence intended to inflict maximum harm on innocent civilians,” he said.
“Israel has every right to defend itself in response and to deter future attacks and other acts of aggression, coercion and interference.”
State of War
Hamas declared war on Saturday morning with its launch of thousands of rockets from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory on Saturday in an unprecedented, unprovoked surprise attack. Israel responded, declaring a state of war as its civilians were killed by terrorists who had infiltrated its borders, attacking people in their homes, including women and children.The Iran-backed terrorist group took credit for the extensive rocket attacks on Saturday morning, which saw sirens in dozens of locations across southern and central Israel triggered, including in Jerusalem.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later declared “we are at war.”
Australians Respond
Australia’s representative body for its Jewish community, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, called on the federal government to condemn the crimes by the Hamas terrorists “without equivocation.”“Any calls for de-escalation by ‘both sides’ or attempts to draw equivalences between the crimes of a terrorist organisation and the defensive measures of a sovereign and democratic state are misconceived and only play into the hands of the terrorists,” co-CEO Alex Ryvchin said.
He condemned “in the strongest terms” the unprovoked attack from land and air by the terror group.
“In addition to a massive rocket barrage targeting Israel’s metropolitan areas, Hamas forces have infiltrated into Israel with the clear aim of murdering civilians and taking hostages,” Mr. Ryvchin said.
“These acts constitute egregious war crimes in their targeting of civilians and are an armed attack against a sovereign state.”
Meanwhile, the Australian Palestine Advocacy Network said it stood by the Palestinians in Gaza, without mention of the Hamas terrorists, and said the attack was the result of “Israeli escalation.”
Nasser Mashini, president of the advocacy group, called for an “immediate end to Israeli attacks and 16-year-old illegal and inhumane blockade.”
“Occupation is violence. Israel hasn’t been defending itself, it’s been waging war on Palestinians, each and every day for decades,” he said.
Ilana Lenk, spokesperson for the Israeli Embassy in Australia, said that the Palestinian citizens of Gaza are not enemies of Israel but the terrorist groups like Hamas that knowingly operate in the areas are.
“Israel does and will continue to do everything in its capacity to prevent harm to civilians that are being constantly used by the Hamas as human shields,” she said.
