Prime Minister Anthony Albanese doubled down on Australia’s position that Hamas must have no role in any future Palestinian state.
Asked what Australia’s own pathway and timeline to recognising Palestinian statehood would be, the PM told Canberra reporters, “Hamas is a terrorist organisation”.
“They should have no role to play in a future Palestinian state, and I note the conference from the Arab League last week,” he said.
He added criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu for actions that undermine a two-state solution and around the distribution of aid.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu has made comments that are certainly not consistent with a two-state solution as well, and we have been critical of some of the actions of Israel in particular,” he said.
“The decision they made in March to breach what has been expected of a democratic nation and withhold the supply of aid for people who desperately needed it.
“My message would be the same privately as it has been in the past. I said to Prime Minister Netanyahu before, as I have said publicly for a long period of time, that I am a supporter of a two-state solution and there cannot be peace and security in the Middle East without there being an advance on the two-state solution.”