Australia to provide aid to Gaza after ceasefire, says Penny Wong

Amid rising hopes of an imminent ceasefire, Penny Wong says Australia will step up and provide financial and other assistance to Gaza once a truce between Israel and Hamas is finalised.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong during her visit to Strasbourg and Brussels.

Australia is ready to step up and provide financial and other assistance to Gaza amid calls for greatly increased humanitarian aid to flow into the region once a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas is finalised.

In recent hours there has been a breakthrough in the talks with both sides edging closer to a deal that would see an end to the conflict that has been ongoing since Hamas’ brutal massacre and hostage-taking of hundreds of Israelis on October 7 last year.

The United States said on Tuesday (local time) it felt “cautious optimism” on the prospects of reaching a ceasefire in the 14-month war, although it acknowledged that similar hopes had been dashed before.

Hamas said the talks mediated by Qatar were “serious and positive,” a day after Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz described the two sides as closer to a deal than ever before.

“It is very welcome news that there is progress,’’ Ms Wong said on the sidelines of a meeting with NATO chief Mark Rutte in Brussels on Tuesday.

“We are deeply concerned, as are many countries, about the catastrophic humanitarian situation and so of course, we are willing to step up to provide assistance. A ceasefire would also enable the return of the hostages who are still being held by Hamas a year after the horrific attacks’’.

Around 96 Israeli hostages are still being held by Hamas inside Gaza, although only 62 or so are believed to be still alive.

The proposed deal, brokered by the United States, Qatar and Egypt, allows for the release of half of the hostages in the initial two month stage of a ceasefire, while Israel would released hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, including those serving long prison sentences for serious crimes.

Hanas has also, for the first time, agreed to a temporary Israeli Defence Force presence in Gaza after the ceasefire.

But a significant component of the ceasefire is for “hugely increased” aid to Gaza to address an overwhelming humanitarian and hunger crisis for the enclave’s 2.3m people, many of whom have been displaced during the conflict.

It is understood Australia would be in a position to help with some of the influx of supplies and money, possibly to be funnelled through recognised aid organisations.

As well, the Gaza border with Egypt at the Rafah crossing may be reopened, under the control of the Palestinian Authority and with EU observers, so Palestinians will be able to leave.

While Israeli soldiers would still have a presence in northern Gaza and along the Philadelphi corridor, the belt of land running along the Gaza-Egypt border, troops would withdraw from Gaza’s main towns and the coastal road.

A senior Palestinian official involved in the negations told the BBC that the talks have entered a “decisive and final phase”.

On Tuesday Ms Wong met with European parliament Vice President Kaja Kallas in Strasbourg before flying to Brussels for the closed door NATO discussions with Mr Rutte.

Ms Kallas said with the tensions in the world being very much interconnected, what happens in Europe also has an impact elsewhere.

Ms Kallas said: “If we are not strong enough all the dictators or aggressors or would be aggressors in the world are carefully taking notes that this pays off. We don’t want to end up in a wold where might makes right again.

She added: “We have to cooperate so that we can avoid bigger tensions and global conflicts’’.

Ms Wong said the meetings were taking place “at a fairly difficult time, that’s an understatement’’, ticking off Russia’s war in Ukraine and other conflicts in many other parts of the world.

Afterwards Ms Wong said in response to news about China’s military exercises off Vietnam that ‘’we always urge peace and stability in our region and that Australia consistently articulates our belief that the UN Convention and the law of the sea is what countries should abide by. She also noted that the United Kingdom had committed A$100m for the new regime in Syria after Bashar Assad had fled to Russia.

“The UK has a long and deep historic set of relationships and responsibilities in the Middle East. And that’s why we are very pleased to work with them to gain their insights about what the progress is,’’ she said.