Australia suggests it could recognise Palestinian statehood but Hamas should have no role to play

AUSTRALIA-CHINA-DIPLOMACY

Australia has joined a handful of nations in hinting it could recognise Palestine’s statehood as the international community looks for a two-state solution to end Israel’s war.

Foreign minister Penny Wong on Tuesday added there could be “no role” for the militant group “Hamas in a future Palestine state”.

She said the international community is discussing Palestinian statehood “as a way of building momentum towards a two-state solution”.

“A two-state solution is the only hope to break the endless cycle of violence,” she said, speaking at the Australian National University.

The proposed two-state solution has long been the basis for international peace efforts to resolve the long Israel-Palestinian conflict, but the process has been stalled for a decade.

Her statement comes amid mounting criticism of prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s war in Gaza after seven aid workers, including six foreign nations, with the World Central Kitchen were killed in an Israeli air strike in the Strip.

Israel’s retaliatory military assault on Hamas-governed Gaza has killed over 33,000, according to the local health ministry, displaced nearly all of its 2.3 million population and led to genocide allegations that Israel denies.

Hamas on 7 October launched a surprise attack in southern Israel, killing 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies.

Palestinians aspire to have an independent state in the West Bank and East Jerusalem – occupied by Israel since the 1967 Middle East War – including Gaza.

Israel on Sunday formalised its opposition to what it called the “unilateral recognition” of Palestinian statehood and said any such agreement must be reached through direct negotiations.

The Palestinian Authority last week formally asked for renewed consideration by the UN Security Council of its 2011 application to become a full member of the world body.

The UN Security Council president this week referred the Palestinian Authority’s application to become a full UN member to the admission committee.

Ms Wong said “those who claim recognition is rewarding an enemy” were wrong because Israel’s own security depends on a two-state solution. “There is no long-term security for Israel unless it is recognised by the countries of its region.”

Spain is among other Western countries pushing for such recognition and is a main proponent of such a move within the EU.

Meanwhile, Joe Biden said Mr Netanyahu’s approach to the war in Gaza has been a “mistake”, in one of his strongest rebukes of the Israeli prime minister’s response to the ongoing conflict so far.

Mr Biden last week told Netanyahu that future US policy towards Israel will be determined by whether its government takes action to protect aid workers and civilians in Gaza, during their first telephone conversation since the deaths of several humanitarian aid workers in the attack on the aid convoy.

The US has traditionally shielded Israel in the UN Security Council and vetoed three draft resolutions on the war in Gaza. It abstained last month when the Security Council demanded an immediate ceasefire.

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