Australia backs Gaza ceasefire at United Nations
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The news: Australia has joined a majority of United Nations member countries in voting for a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza amid concerns about the indiscriminate bombing of civilians.
The prime ministers of Australia, Canada and New Zealand also issued a joint statement before the UN vote saying the price of defeating the Hamas terrorist group cannot be the continuous suffering of all Palestinian civilians.
The context: There were 153 UN nations that voted for the ceasefire resolution. The US and Israel were among those that voted against it.
Leaders of countries including Australia and the US say they respect Israel's right to defend itself following Hamas' October invasion that killed 1,200 people and took hostages. However, US president Joe Biden said Israel was losing support because of its indiscriminate bombing of civilians.
What they said: "We want to see (the recent) pause resumed and support urgent international efforts towards a sustainable ceasefire. This cannot be one-sided. Hamas must release all hostages, stop using Palestinian civilians as human shields, and lay down its arms," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Luxon and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a statement.
The sources: Australian government statement, Reuters
