PM’s claim to high moral ground ignores reality of Hamas

A dollar each way

Anthony Albanese takes a breathtakingly unjustified high moral ground position when he singles out the plight of an unnamed child to morally condemn Israel for allegedly causing the mass starvation of the children of Gaza.

It is quite obvious that Albanese takes his views from the heavily biased news reporting from unverified pro-Hamas sources that bombard our ABC and SBS every day with photos of children and lines of food trucks standing idle on roads into Gaza.

All are allegedly the innocent victims of Israel aggression, without any honest due diligence investigative verification. Albanese cites “a breach of international law” without being able to identify what that breach actually is.

Albanese makes no mention of the hostages still held by Hamas and ignores the Israeli viewpoint that it is the heavily pro-Palestinian UN that is condemning Israel wrongly for its alleged starvation of children and it is the UN and Hamas that have prevented these food trucks from reaching the people.

Albanese tries and fails to have a dollar each way when he condemns Israel for its alleged inhumanity but in the same breath says Israel has a right to exist.

John Bell, Heidelberg Heights, Vic

Palestinians need to be convinced too

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is correct in not recognising a Palestinian state while Hamas is still in charge.

However, Palestinians themselves will have to be convinced that a two-state solution is best for all concerned. For generations they have been conditioned to only want one state – their own – and for Israel to be eliminated. Albanese and Penny Wong are still ignoring this fact.

Julie Winzar, Palm Beach, Qld

Images make public forget

While the cruel conflict continues to be played out in Gaza, it is becoming more apparent that it is because of Hamas that is holding its fellow citizens to ransom.

Every day we are confronted with the conflict in Gaza and with the heart-rending vision of children fighting for minimal nourishment, and babies dying a cruel death by starvation.

Public sentiment may no longer take into account that it is Hamas, which has failed to return the remaining hostages, that caused the original disaster by attacking and killing Israelis in 2023. Hamas has its own agenda and cares nothing for the wellbeing of its fellow citizens, whose lives hang by a thread living and dying in Gaza.

Death and devastation are what Hamas will have achieved for Gaza when the guns are finally silenced.

Stephanie Summers, North Turramurra, NSW

Lost the propaganda war

It seems Israel has lost the propaganda war in the Middle East and, by its lack of response to the persistent lies of Hamas, handed victory in the court of public opinion to the terrorists.

Everyone knows Palestinian leaders since Yasser Arafat have lied and failed to honour their promises, yet every day we read in the media the republication of evidence-free stories from “Palestinian authorities” of how the Israelis are starving innocent Palestinians to death and shooting these same innocents while they stand in line for food handouts. No one questions why the IDF would do this, or who stands to gain from the reported deaths in food queues.

A moment’s thought provides the answer: Hamas, of course! And as long as Israel fails to counter these false stories, it will continue to lose the war.

Hamas will fight to the last innocent man, woman and child and will never give up the hostages – its principal protection against defeat.

Yet no one ever reminds us that taking, keeping and maltreating hostages is itself a war crime.

Whatever happened to journalistic integrity?

K. MacDermott, Binalong, NSW

Different rules

Israel must be the only country in the history of war that is required to give aid to the very people it is at war with.

On top of that, it is also required to warn them beforehand of any action so that the enemy can evacuate.

Who else would do that in a war? Seems the rules are very much different for Israel.

Ivan Cope, Tanunda, SA