Australia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have denounced Israel’s ongoing war on the Gaza Strip, calling for “an immediate and durable humanitarian ceasefire” in the besieged territory as the holy fasting month of Ramadan approaches.
“We condemn attacks against all civilians and civilian infrastructure, leading to a further deterioration of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza including restricted access to food, water, and other basic needs,” a joint statement by Australia and ASEAN read on Wednesday following a three day summit in Melbourne.
“We urge for an immediate and durable humanitarian ceasefire,” added the statement.
Despite a broad agreement behind the call for an immediate truce in Gaza, the 10-member South Asian bloc and Australia had earlier struggled to find common ground on the war in the besieged territory and were split on the wording of a joint declaration.
A working draft of the joint declaration earlier in the week hinted at the divisions on display behind closed doors as Singapore balked at a suggestion to condemn “the use of Israeli-led starvation” in Gaza, language that would have infuriated Israel.
The leaders also argued over whether the joint statement should call for a total ceasefire or a more temporary “humanitarian” pause.
The call came as Australia has exported weapons and offered military assistance to Israel, for the use of the occupation forces during the Gaza genocide and crimes against humanity.
The aid Australia has provided since October has been the export of F-35 fighter jet parts as well as military intelligence through the government’s surveillance work at Pine Gap — a facility in Australia’s northern territory, which is jointly operated by the US and Australia.
Israel launched its genocidal war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas waged the surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity in response to the intensified violence against the Palestinians.
Since the start of the offensive, the Tel Aviv regime has killed at least 30,631 Palestinians and injured over 72,000 others, according to health authorities in Gaza.
The Tel Aviv regime has also imposed a “complete siege” on the territory, cutting off fuel, electricity, food, and water to the more than two million people living there.
The United Nations has already warned that in the absence of any changes in the Israeli regime’s ongoing genocidal war on Gaza, the territory is on course to experience all-out famine.
