Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has joined forces with his Canadian and New Zealand counterparts in a joint statement calling for a sustainable ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
The officials are demanding for authorities to put an end to the "continuous suffering" of the citizens in the war-torn region. In the statement, the ministers said that they were alarmed at the diminishing safe space for civilians in Gaza amid the Israeli bombardment of Hamas militants.
Australia Calls for Gaza Ceasefire
They noted that the price of defeating the Hamas militant group cannot be the continuous suffering of Palestinian civilians. The statement comes as health authorities in the Hamas-run Gaza said that the death toll from Israel's continued offensive has surpassed 18,000.
Albanese and his Canadian and New Zealand counterparts, Justin Trudeau and Chris Luxon, respectively, said they are calling for a resumption of the recent ceasefire. They added that they support "urgent international efforts towards a sustainable ceasefire."
However, the three prime ministers said the ceasefire cannot simply be "one-sided." They noted that the Hamas militant group must release all of its hostages, stop using Palestinian civilians as human shields, and lay down its weapons, as per The Guardian.
The three officials also condemned the Hamas militant group's unacceptable treatment of its hostages. They have called for the immediate and unconditional release of all of the captives who were being held in Gaza.
Both the Australian and Canadian governments consider Hamas a terrorist organization while New Zealand authorities designated the group's military wing a terrorist group. The joint statement also criticized Hamas' initial attack on Israel on Oct. 7.
That particular assault resulted in the death of more than 1,200 people in Israel and the prime ministers condemned the heinous acts of violence that were perpetrated in those attacks. These include sexual violence as well as the abduction of more than 200 people.
Israel's Continued Offensive
Earlier on Tuesday, United States President Joe Biden said that Israel was losing support over its "indiscriminate" bombing of Gaza. He added that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should change his hard-line government. The remarks exposed a new rift between the Democrat and the Middle Eastern leader, according to Reuters.
Trudeau spoke in Ottawa and said that he had a very long conversation with Netanyahu on Tuesday regarding his country's position on the Gaza conflict and commitment towards a two-state solution for the embattled region.
The Canadian prime minister has consistently argued that Israel has the right to defend itself against the Hamas militant group. However, with the rising death toll, particularly among civilians, in Gaza, he has started to harden his tone slowly.
The joint statement is the latest development in Israel facing mounting international pressure to rethink its offensive in Gaza. The United Nations General Assembly voted on Tuesday for a renewed ceasefire. Israel's chief ally, the United States, added pressure on Israel's government to change tack.
On the other hand, Israeli authorities have repeatedly refused to consider a long-term ceasefire in the war-torn region. This is unless Hamas releases the hostages that it took from the region during its initial attack, said Inquirer.
