Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz says there will be no ceasefire in Gaza unless and until all the hostages abducted by Hamas terrorists on October 7th (and four who are being held since 2014) are returned to the Jewish State.
Speaking with his Australian counterpart, Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Katz thanked Foreign Minister Penny Wong for having expressed sympathy over the recent execution by Hamas of six Israeli hostages.
“I stressed that there will be no ceasefire in Gaza without the return of all our hostages,” Katz said in a statement.
The Israeli foreign minister said he updated Wong on Israel’s efforts to continue the polio vaccination campaign in Gaza.
Katz also said he emphasized that Israel is working with international organizations to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza’s civilian population despite Hamas’ attempts to steal and disrupt it.
“I highlighted Iran’s efforts to establish another radical-Islamic terror front in the east and warned about the Palestinian initiative against Israel at the upcoming UN assembly,” Katz said he told his Australian counterpart.
But despite her “sympathy,” Wong is by no means a firm supporter of Israel’s right to self-defense.
The Australian foreign minister told Guardian Australia on Monday that her country is “working with partners — including the UK — to put pressure to see a real change in the situation in Gaza.”
By that, she meant Australia — and she personally — support Britain’s decision to suspend 30 out of 350 existing licenses to sell arms to Israel over what the UK claimed was “a clear risk that they might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law.”
Wong welcomed that decision, she told the news outlet. “Palestinian civilians cannot be made to pay the price of defeating Hamas.” No mention was made of the price Israeli civilians have already paid, and still must pay, in order to survive the terror group’s attempt to annihilate the Jewish State.
The United Nations General Assembly, meanwhile, is expected to vote next week on a Palestinian Authority draft resolution demanding Israel end “its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory” within six months.
The key aim of the draft resolution, which was seen by Reuters, is to achieve a vote in favor of a July advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice that said Israel’s presence in Judea and Samaria is illegal and should be withdrawn.
Referring to Iran’s attempt to build an additional front against the Jewish State on its eastern border with Jordan, Katz warned that Israel is at war with terrorism “and the Iranian axis of evil,” urging “all democratic nations and the free world” to support the Jewish State in its fight.
