Pearls and Irritations

Last Sunday, (5 January) an American-Israeli guided missile deliberately attacked and destroyed an Australian-funded food aid storage facility in the area of Deir al-Balah in Gaza. It is, in effect, an attack on Australia. Where is the government’s condemnation?

The missle attack seriously injured three workers from the Ma’an Development Centre. This Centre has already lost six of it workers, murdered by the IDF.

Union Aid Abroad APHEDA has been working with this Palestinian development agency for 36 years and this project is partially funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs with Australian tax payers’ money. It is, in effect, an attack on Australia. Where is the government’s condemnation?

Over the past year unionists, members of APHEDA and the general public have raised more than $1.2 million to support aid efforts in Gaza. Union Aid Abroad APHEDA has called on the international community to “condemn this act, demand international law is respected and hold to account those who have bombed the facility”.

In a statement on 5 January, the MA’AN Development Centre stated that it,

“strongly condemns the criminal attack that targeted the Centre’s warehouse affiliated with the World Food Program. . . this attack constitutes a blatant violation of all international laws and norms, especially as the location’s co-ordinates were previously communicated to all concerned parties. It has become evident that humanitarian workers, medical staff, and journalists are repeatedly subjected to direct targeting through killing, bombing, and deliberate arrest, in flagrant violation of the protections afforded to these groups under international humanitarian law.”

Israel is not content with massacring nearly 46,000 innocent Palestinians, 70% of whom are women and children, injuring and maiming over 108,000 people, murdering doctors and medical staff and deliberately targeting and killing 320 humanitarian workers. Israel has completely destroyed most of Gaza’s hospitals, targeting and murdering 220 journalists, destroying sewerage and water infrastructure.

Israel is deliberately starving more than 2.1 million people, blocking aid so that people and babies are freezing to death and the list of war crimes does not end there.

These are horrific and unparalleled crimes against civilians. In the face of such horrific brutality Palestinians in Gaza ask, “why is the world so silent”, and we ask, why is the Australian Government so silent? In failing to condemn such genocide, Australia is complicit in war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Last September, Foreign Minister, Penny Wong made headlines internationally by proposing and supporting a new UN Declaration for the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel. What we want is action now, Senator Wong. Australians in their hundreds of thousands have been asking this government to take action against the genocide in Gaza, the apartheid and land theft across Palestine and the wanton killings in the West Bank by fascist settlers supported by the IDF.

This proposed Declaration for the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel has stated that it, “aims to be global in reach and application, reaffirming existing humanitarian law, and setting out practical and actionable steps to protect aid workers in conflict”.  When the Fourth Geneva Convention already protects humanitarian rights we may well ask why is this additional Declaration needed? It is because 2024 was the deadliest year on record for aid workers in Gaza, with more than 320 killed. This year is on track to be even worse.

In a media statement on the proposed Declaration, Wong stated that “Gaza is the most dangerous place on earth to be an aid worker”. She went on to state that “The Declaration… will demonstrate the unity of the international community’s commitment to protect humanitarian personnel and to channel that commitment into action in all current and future conflicts”. APHEDA has stated that, “workers who stand with the victims of war are increasingly being targeted strategically to escalate the starvation and suffering of civilians. There has never been a more urgent time to implement this Declaration”.

Senator Wong, we are waiting for you now to take that action against Israel. We want you to immediately condemn the genocide in Gaza, to immediately implement the findings against Israel of the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court and the UN General Assembly Resolution of 18 September to implement the ICJ decisions.

We also want you to immediately place sanctions on Israel, ask the Israeli Ambassador to leave Australia and stop all weapons sales.

We are tired of hearing just words, it is now way past time for action, Senator Wong. Australia’s previous reputation for commitment to international humanitarian law is at stake.

The government needs to act now.

The views expressed in this article are mine alone.

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