Most Australians find Israel’s denial of aid to Palestinians in Gaza unjustifiable, according to fresh polling figures.
An overwhelming 82 per cent of Australians hold this view, with more than two in three Australians believing the Australian Government should do more to ensure civilians have access to food, water and medicine- including the vast majority of Labor voters.
The YouGov polling was commissioned by ActionAid Australia, Oxfam Australia, Plan International Australia, Union Aid Abroad- APHEDA, Caritas and ChildFund Australia.
These aid organisations have been speaking out about Israel’s deliberate obstruction of aid and violations of international law.
Since late 2023, there’s been a deprivation of aid to Palestinians in Gaza and record-breaking killing of aid workers.
The latest poll figures come as Israel maintains its 19-month stranglehold on the Gaza Strip, with barely any aid trucks able to enter in the past week to deliver desperately needed supplies. This follows an 11-week total siege, which saw the re-emergence of the threat of famine and crisis levels of hunger among more than two million Palestinians remaining in Gaza.
‘Gaza is hell on earth right now’
Last week, Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong joined 22 other foreign ministers urging the Israeli Government to “allow a full resumption of aid into Gaza immediately and enable the UN and humanitarian organisations to work independently and impartially to save lives, reduce suffering and maintain dignity”.
While the group of aid organisation’s welcomes this call, they urge the Australian government to continue to do more- a plea consistent with the expectations of the majority of Australian voters.
“Gaza is hell on earth right now. For women the situation is even worse due to a lack of maternal healthcare, gender-based violence, and the additional responsibility of caring for traumatised children,” said ActionAid Australia Executive Director Michelle Higelin.
“It’s clear that most Australians are desperate for the Government to do more to ensure the Palestinian people have access to food, clean water and healthcare, but it must not stop there. People in Gaza desperately need a permanent ceasefire, and the international community must do everything in its power to make that happen.”
Oxfam Australia’s Acting Chief Executive Dr Chrisanta Muli said there are 9000 trucks waiting to enter Gaza, but the population in Gaza needs at least 500 trucks of aid per day to support their needs, meaning this aid “represents a trickle of water into an ocean of need”.
International Humanitarian Law (IHL) strictly prohibits the use of starvation as a method of warfare. As the occupying power in Gaza, Israel is bound by IHL to provide for the needs and protection of the population of Gaza.
In 2018, the UN Security Council resolution 2417 unanimously condemned the use of starvation against civilians as a method of warfare and declared any denial of humanitarian access a violation of international law.
What needs to happen?
The aid organisations are calling on the Australian Government to continue to demand an immediate and permanent ceasefire.
They also want the government to join the United Kingdom, Canada and France in strengthening their position against Israel’s egregious actions through its military operations and denial of humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza.
They say the Australian Government must be clear that Australia will take concrete action should Israel not cease its offensive and lift restrictions on the principled delivery of aid.
It’s urgent as well that the government use Australia’s voice to publicly denounce breaches of international humanitarian law in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and continue to call for international law to be upheld.
What can you do to help?
All of us can play a role in speaking out in support of humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza.
ActionAid has recommended the following actions for those wanting to help:
- Write a letter to your local MP or the Prime Minister
- Donate to NGOs providing humanitarian aid in Gaza, such as ActionAid
- Attend rallies in your local area
- Follow APAN for news on how you can show your solidarity