In a blunt response to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Australia said keeping children hungry and killing masses if not a sign of strength
Sydney: In a blunt response to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Australia said keeping children hungry and killing masses if not a sign of strength.
The war of word between Australia and Netanyahu broke out after the former announced to recognise the State of Palestine during the UN General Assembly Session in September.
Criticizing the decision, Benjamin Netanyahu resorted to personal attack, calling Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese a “Weak Leader”.
Responding to Netanyahu, Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said Wednesday that the Israeli Prime Minister’s outburst was that of a frustrated leader “lashing out.”
“Strength is not measured by how many people you can blow up or how many children you can leave hungry,” Burke told national broadcaster ABC, referring to Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, where images of starving Gazans in sprawling tent camps have provoked widespread international outrage, including from Australia.
On his part, Albanese refused to respond to Netanyahu, saying he doesn’t “take these things personally,” as the Israeli Prime Minister “has had similar things to say about other leaders” in the past.
“I engage with people diplomatically,” Albanese said.
Countries in race to recognise State of Palestine
The Australian decision to recognise the State of Palestine came weeks after France and the United Kingdom have announced to recognise Palestine State at UN General Assembly Session in September.
In a releated development, Australia also while rejecting Netanyahu’s public outburst said it had informed Israel well in advance about its decision to recognise the State of Palestine.
Palestine is officially recognized by 147 of the UN’s 193 member states. It holds observer status within the United Nations but is denied full membership.
Palestine was accorded observer status four months after the UN General Assembly (UNGA) passed with an overwhelming majority a resolution asking the UN Security Council (UNSC) to admit Palestine as a full member of the world body.
UN declares famine in Gaza
Meanwhile, a UN classification system used to determine access to food has officially declared famine in Gaza, saying more than half a million Palestinians are facing catastrophic famine conditions, which include starvation, destitution and death.
“It is a man-made disaster, a moral indictment – and a failure of humanity itself… Famine is not about food; it is the deliberate collapse of the systems needed for human survival”, UN Secretary General António Guterres said adding the results of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis were no mystery.
Famine conditions are projected to spread from Gaza Governorate to Deir Al Balah and Khan Younis Governorates in the coming weeks, the IPC estimates, the UN said.
“As the occupying power, Israel has unequivocal obligations under international law – including the duty of ensuring food and medical supplies of the population,” said the UN chief, reacting to the famine declaration from the IPC, which is endorsed by dozens of governments, UN agencies and NGOs as the key evidence-based measure of food insecurity and malnutrition.
The UN declaration came as two more Palestinians have starved to death in Gaza in the past 24 hours, which also saw 71 people killed in Israeli attacks across the enclave, according to the territory’s Health Ministry.
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