Building, keeping peace in Gaza ‘hard’, foreign minister says
Australia’s top diplomat has spoken candidly about the challenges facing those pushing for peace in Gaza.
Canberra will continue backing Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan even though building and keeping peace “is going to be hard”, Australia’s top diplomat has vowed.
Fronting Senate estimates on Thursday, Foreign Minister Penny Wong was asked if she had “any hope” that Islamist group Hamas would relinquish governance of Gaza, with Liberal senator Sarah Henderson framing the Albanese government as taking a lone wolf approach to the war-torn Palestinian territory.
She was also asked “at what point” the Albanese government would “withdraw recognition of a Palestinian state” if Hamas did not give up control given it was a precondition of recognition.
“This is a regional and multilateral process,” Senator Wong replied.
“The position that we have, that there should be no role for Hamas, is reflected not only in the peace plan that President Trump and the Arab and other nations endorse, but also the UN Security Council resolution.
“So our position is the same position as the weight of the international community.”
She said there was “a lot of work that needs to be done in the region to establish sustainable peace, to establish governance arrangements, to demilitarise and to provide the appropriate security guarantees for Israel”.
“I don’t think we’re under any illusions that the work of maintaining the ceasefire and building peace is going to be hard,” Senator Wong said.
“It’s going to be hard, but we are committed to working with the international community towards that long term peace and security.”
The US President’s 21 point plan was approved by the UN Security Council last month, making the biggest step in its implementation since the tense ceasefire on October 9.
While the ceasefire has been tested, it has held enough to allow other elements of plan’s first phase to proceed.
Hamas has released most of the hostages it took in its October 7 attacks in 2023, the Israeli military is scaling back its presence in Gaza and desperately needed humanitarian aid is flowing faster.
But Hamas has also refused to disarm, driving fears that fighting will resume.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to “finish the job” if Hamas does not follow Mr Trump’s plan.
Originally published as Building, keeping peace in Gaza ‘hard’, foreign minister says
