Key Points
- The UN resolution has called for an immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.
- It says civilians in Gaza should not be deprived of basic services and humanitarian assistance.
- Wong says Australia backs the UN resolution.
Australia has backed a UN resolution demanding all sides in the protect civilians, particularly children.
The United Nations Security Council resolution demanded all those involved in the conflict comply with international law, particularly for the protection of civilian life and children.
The resolution called for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.
It states civilians in Gaza should not be deprived of basic services and humanitarian assistance needed for their survival.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong noted the resolution was the first resolution on the Middle East to be adopted by the council since 2016, which demonstrated the "unity" on the conflict.
"Australia has and will continue to support these calls," she posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Thursday.
Hamas launched an attack on Israel on 7 October, killing about 1,200 people and taking more than 220 hostages, the Israeli government said.
In response, Israel has bombarded Gaza, resulting in the deaths of more than 12,000 people, more than 40 per cent of them children, according to health officials in the enclave.
The conflict has sparked protests and vigils around the world and has fuelled Islamophobia and antisemitism.
Victorian MP Josh Burns and NSW MP Julian Leeser said Australian Jews and Muslims should not be used as "political footballs".
The comments come after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of weaponising antisemitism to criticise the government's response to escalating violence in the Gaza Strip.
Burns said inflammatory remarks should not be made, which would "put kerosene on already hot flames".
"It doesn't matter whether you're a Jewish person or Islamic person, you should feel safe in Australia," he told ABC radio on Thursday.
"I want them to feel like they are proud Australians and that they can go to the mosque and be a part of their community and practise their faith and be with their family and live peaceful lives in this country."
Leeser agreed and noted antisemitism had always been an issue in Australia, with many Jewish institutions forced to hire additional security at normal times.
"The level of antisemitism is off the charts in this country," he told ABC radio. "We shouldn't try to downplay the way the Jewish community is feeling at this time."
The prime minister told reporters on the sidelines of the APEC Summit in San Francisco, that he expected the Middle East to be a topic of discussion among world leaders.
"I will be having discussions with our friends in the United States ... about a way forward," he said.
"We have said very clearly that Israel has a right to defend itself, as well.
"And we do need to, I think, begin to have discussions about what happens in the future in that region." He said Hamas was "not a potential partner for peace" and the international community had a role to play.
Hamas is a Palestinian military and political group, which has gained power in the Gaza Strip since winning legislative elections there in 2006. Its stated aim is to establish a Palestinian state, while refusing to recognise Israel's right to exist.
Hamas, in its entirety, is designated as a terrorist organisation by countries including Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States. New Zealand and Paraguay list only its military wing as a terrorist group.
In 2018, the United Nations General Assembly voted against a resolution condemning Hamas in its entirety as a terrorist organisation.
