Australia's foreign minister says peace and security will only come to Israel if Palestine is recognised as a state.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong used an address at the Australian National University on Tuesday night to announce that the federal government was contemplating recognising Palestinian statehood.
She said international recognition could help "build momentum towards a two-state solution" with Israel.
Senator Wong repeated calls on Wednesday morning for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza war before repeating the same sentiment she had expressed in a speech the night prior.
She added that Australia could be both a friend to Israel and a friend to Palestinians.
"Ultimately, peace, security for Israel, will only be achieved if we have a Palestinian state alongside the Israeli state," she said.
"We are looking at … a pathway beyond the immediate conflict, that's what the discussion is amongst the international community. We have to work out how it is we break the endless cycle of violence.
"What needs to happen immediately is Hamas needs to release hostages and we need to see an immediate humanitarian ceasefire so that we can have aid at scale into Gaza where we know we have a humanitarian catastrophe."
When asked about Senator Wong's sentiments, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his government had always supported a two-state solution. However, he did not think Hamas should have any role in a future Palestinian state.
The Labor Party has long been divided on whether Australia should recognise Palestine.
Senator Wong said her government had not yet made a decision but was joining the international debate on a long-term solution.
In February, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement that: "Israel categorically rejects international dictates regarding a permanent settlement with the Palestinians".
"Israel will continue to oppose unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state," Mr Netanyahu said.
"The failures of this approach by all parties over decades — as well as the Netanyahu government's refusal to even engage on the question of a Palestinian state — have caused widespread frustration," Senator Wong said on Tuesday night.
"So the international community is now considering the question of Palestinian statehood as a way of building momentum towards a two-state solution."
The Coalition released a statement late on Tuesday night criticising the government's language surrounding a two-state solution.
Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Birmingham said the government's argument to "pre-emptively recognise a Palestinian state puts statehood before security and will be seen as a win by the terrorists who initiated the current horrific conflict".
"To give the greatest chance for a sustainable ceasefire that leads to prospects for stability and security, Labor should instead be applying maximum pressure on Hamas to immediately and unconditionally release all hostages and surrender all terrorist capabilities," Mr Birmingham said.
"There's going to have to be a period of security achieved and that can only be achieved once hostages are released, once Hamas has laid down its terrorist capabilities. Then you can have a period of security and stability and that can then achieve the type of negotiating environment to secure an ultimate two-state solution or any other approach that can provide for long-term peace between Palestinian peoples and Israeli peoples."
Rafah invasion
Senator Wong also repeated the government's concerns about Mr Netenyahu's plans to invade the city of Rafah, which houses more than 1 million displaced people living in tent camps and makeshift shelters who had fled there from Israeli attacks on Gaza.
"We are deeply concerned about the proposed invasion in Rafah where so many civilians are sheltering," the senator said.
Mr Albanese has urged Israel to avoid a ground invasion of Rafah, as Mr Netanyahu set a date for the ground offensive.
Israeli's prime minister insists that "victory" over Hamas "requires entry into Rafah and the elimination of the terrorist battalions there".
"I have directly put to Prime Minister Netanyahu Australia's concern about a ground invasion of Rafah," Mr Albanese said.
"The consequences that would be there for the civilian population who, of course, were told in Gaza to go south from the north to the centre, were then told to go to the centre to the south, and are now confronting a potential ground invasion there."
When Senator Wong was asked how Hamas could be removed from Gaza without a ground offensive in Rafah, she said Israel needed to make sure it complies with international humanitarian law when doing so.
"Israel was attacked in the most horrific terms, by an organisation, which is dedicated to the destruction of the Jewish people and the Jewish state which is Hamas … any state attacked in that way would defend itself. Any state that does defend itself, is bound by certain rules and we are concerned about the humanitarian implications and consequences for civilians in Rafah, as is the President of the United States."
The US, one of whose citizens had been killed in the Israeli air strike on the World Central Kitchen aid workers in Gaza, has recently hardened its language on Israel and how it has been defending itself, calling for ceasefires and urging Israel not to invade Rafah.
Binskin has 'positive engagements' with Israel
The government has slowly ramped up criticism of Israel in recent months as violence has intensified in Gaza, and has peaked in the last week after an Israeli air strike killed an Australian.
It appointed former ADF chief Mark Binskin to scrutinise Israel's investigation of the air strikes that killed Zomi Frankcom and six other aid workers.
Senator Wong said Air Chief Marshal Binskin had engaged with Israel already in relation to the inquiry and that it had been positive.
"This is a very important issue for Australia … under international humanitarian law aid workers are to be protected, demonstrably there was a deadly failure," the senator said.
"Australians do expect there to be transparency and full accountability and we've appointed Mark Binskin as a special advisor because he will be able to assist the Australian government in considering the investigation."
Senator Wong said she had not received a response to a letter that Defence Minister Richard Marles and herself had sent to the Israeli government regarding the incident but she "looked forward" to one.
The IDF said it had dismissed two officers and reprimanded three others for their roles in drone strikes in Gaza that killed the seven aid workers.
The Australian government said it expected Air Chief Marshall Binskin to have "full access" and the cooperation of the Israeli government and the IDF throughout the inquiry into the strikes.
However, IDF Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner couldn't confirm that would occur: "I don't know. I think that that's the question that needs to be referred through the government, from government to government … so I think we need to check with the foreign ministry," he said.
When the ABC asked Israel's foreign ministry whether the country's government or military would cooperate with any Australian investigation, it said: "I think you should ask the IDF spokesperson on this issue".
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