Australia leads 24-nation call for Israel to open Gaza aid corridors

Australia has joined 23 other nations in demanding that Israel immediately open Gaza's aid corridors and halt restrictions on humanitarian operations. Foreign Minister Penny Wong signed the joint statement, which frames the crisis in stark terms: starvation is occurring at what the signatories call "unimaginable levels," and "urgent action is needed now to halt and reverse" it.

The statement calls specifically for Israel to authorize all international NGO aid shipments and remove barriers preventing humanitarian organizations from working. It demands that all crossing points and routes be used to move food, nutrition supplies, shelter, fuel, clean water, medicine, and medical equipment into Gaza at scale. The signatories also insist that lethal force not be deployed at distribution sites and that civilians, aid workers, and medical personnel be protected from violence.

The coalition includes Britain, Canada, France, Japan, and the European Union, with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and two other European Commission members adding their names. Notably, some EU members—Germany and Hungary among them—did not sign. The statement acknowledged the efforts of the United States, Qatar, and Egypt in pushing for a ceasefire, while calling for a truce that would end the war, secure the release of hostages, and allow aid to flow into Gaza without obstruction.

The diplomatic push arrives as ceasefire negotiations have stalled. Hamas leader Khalil Al-Hayya traveled to Cairo for talks aimed at reviving a US-backed proposal for a 60-day truce and hostage release arrangement. Indirect negotiations in Qatar ended in deadlock in late July, with both sides blaming the other for lack of progress. A Palestinian official involved in the mediated talks told Reuters that Hamas believes negotiation is the only path to ending the war and remains open to discussing proposals that would achieve that end. Yet the gaps between Israel and Hamas remain wide on fundamental questions: how far Israeli forces would withdraw and whether Hamas would disarm.

Meanwhile, Israel's security cabinet voted to support a Netanyahu proposal for the military to enter Gaza City, a move that could displace hundreds of thousands of Palestinians. Israel's military chief of staff has warned that such an operation could endanger hostages still held by Hamas and prove catastrophic for Israeli soldiers. Hamas has indicated it would hand over Gaza's governance to a non-partisan committee but will not surrender its weapons before a Palestinian state is established. Netanyahu has vowed the war will not end until Hamas is destroyed.

The humanitarian toll continues to mount. Palestinian authorities report more than 61,000 deaths since the war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a cross-border attack that killed roughly 1,200 Israelis and resulted in more than 251 hostages being taken. The Gaza Health Ministry attributes 227 deaths to starvation and malnutrition, including 103 children. Israel disputes these figures but offers no alternative data; the United Nations says the toll is largely accurate, possibly even understated.

Australia's statement follows the government's decision to recognize a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September, contingent on Hamas having no role in future governance. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has pledged to reverse that recognition if her Coalition wins the next election in three years. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has intensified his criticism of Netanyahu, describing him as "in denial" about the war's consequences in Gaza.