War in the Middle East

Senator VAN: My question is for the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Wong. On 7 October, Gaza erupted when the Hamas terror group rained terror on Israelis. Over 200 people were abducted by Hamas and other terror groups, and more than 1,200 were killed. Can the minister provide the chamber with the latest and accurate statistics, specifically the number of individuals abducted by Hamas, the current status of those hostages and the total number of fatalities resulting from the terrorist attacks?

Senator WONG: Thank you, Senator Van, for the question, and thank you for giving us a little bit of notice of some of the issues so that I could get some further details. Obviously, in relation to the first part of the question, the United Nations has reported that 1,200 Israelis have been killed in the conflict since 7 October. The vast majority of these Israelis were killed in the horrific events of 7 October. As I said, it is the biggest loss of Jewish life on any day since the Holocaust. Of course, we condemn these terrorist acts unequivocally. They cannot and should not be justified. In relation to hostages, I understand that the IDF has stated that the number of hostages still held captive is approximately 240, and I again reiterate our call, along with the international community, for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. I'm advised the UN reports that more than 11,000 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict.

This is a deeply distressing time for many in Australia, as we have talked about a number of times today. It is distressing for our Jewish community, who lost loved ones in the abhorrent attacks by Hamas. It is distressing for members of our Palestinian community who have lost loved ones in the conflict that has followed and for many more who feel deeply about this issue. I again say our first priority in this crisis must be to seek to keep our country unified. It is also to assist Australians abroad, and I have previously spoken in this chamber about ensuring that repatriation flights were arranged. Australia will continue to work with other countries that have influence in the region to prevent the conflict from spreading.

Senator VAN: Thank you, Minister. Could you provide a comprehensive overview of Australia's humanitarian aid to Gaza, detailing the amount, delivery methods and organisations involved? Could you also confirm whether the International Red Cross is being granted access to the hostages and how our aid is being effectively utilised in the context of this conflict?

Senator WONG: I describe the humanitarian situation in Gaza as dire and catastrophic, and human suffering in Gaza is widespread. Early on in this conflict, we announced $25 million in humanitarian assistance through trusted partners to address essential needs in Gaza, Lebanon and Egypt. This includes $9 million through the ICRC, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement; $13 million to provide support through UN agencies such as UNICEF—the UN Children's Fund—and the UN Population Fund; and $3 million to respond to emerging humanitarian needs as a result of the conflict. We have also engaged with the ICRC and other UN agencies, and the government is willing to consider further requests. Some 981 trucks with humanitarian aid have entered Gaza since 21 October. Prior to this conflict, an average of 500 trucks per working day entered Gaza, which shows the dire humanitarian— (Time expired)

Senator VAN: Could you advise what efforts are being undertaken by the Australian intelligence agencies to investigate and identify any foreign interference that may be contributing to the increasing number of horrific antisemitic campaigns across our media?

Senator WONG: I would say first that, obviously, we don't comment on intelligence, but you would have seen public statements which have been made by some of our respected leaders in the intelligence community about the importance of social cohesion. As I said earlier today, we must all work to maintain respect for each other's humanity. We have seen a disturbing rise in antisemitism, and that must be called out. It is abhorrent, and it has no place in this country. There is no place for prejudice, antisemitism or Islamophobia in Australia. In response to Senator Fawcett, I spoke about some of the support the government has given, including for security as well as mental health support and other support for communities, including the Jewish community and members of the Islamic community. (Time expired)