Foreign Minister Penny Wong has pledged $2 million in aid for humanitarian efforts in Lebanon and has told the United Nations General Assembly Australia wants a clear timeline on recognising Palestinian statehood.
Wong's humanitarian pledge came as she met with her Lebanese counterpart Abdallah Bou Habib ahead of her general assembly address.
In a statement, she said the funding would support the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in providing, among other things, medical assistance and education to people in southern Lebanon.
“Australia is deeply concerned by the escalation of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah," Wong said in a statement on Saturday. "Lebanese civilians cannot be made to pay the price of defeating Hezbollah and Lebanon cannot become the next Gaza."
Penny Wong repeated calls for a ceasefire in Lebanon and Gaza. Source: AAP, AP / Pamela Smith
She also reiterated that recognising a Palestinian state could help build momentum for a peace process rather than something that comes at the end of one.
The UN Security Council — of which Australia is not a member — should set "a pathway" for a two-state solution and a "clear timeline for the international declaration of Palestinian statehood" in which Hamas — the militant rulers of the Palestinian enclave Gaza — would play no role.
"Any future Palestinian state must not be in a position to threaten Israel’s security," Wong said.
Some 140 UN member state already recognise a Palestinian state, including Ireland, Norway and Spain.
Wong also put forward an Australian offer to "contribute to new ways to break the cycle of conflict", but did not elaborate on what this might involve.
She said "war has rules" and that countries must abide by them "even when confronting terrorist; even when defending borders".
"Israel must comply with the binding orders of the International Court of Justice, including to enable the provision of basic services and humanitarian assistance at scale."
Israels bombardment of Gaza has killed more than 42,000 Palestinians, according to the local health authority, and plunged the territory into a deep humanitarian crisis.
The offensive was sparked by the October 7 attack by Hamas-led militants, who killed 1,200 people and took about 250 people hostage.
"Palestinian civilians cannot be made to pay the price of defeating Hamas," Wong said.
Wong also repeated calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, as well as Lebanon where there has been escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in the country's south.
More than 600 people have been killed since Monday in Israel's strikes on Lebanon and about 100,000 people have been displaced.
Australia lists both Hamas — Gaza's rulers — and Hezbollah — a Lebanese Islamist political party and militant group that holds just under half the seats in Lebanon's parliament — as terrorist organisations.
Israel has rejected global calls for a ceasefire with the Hezbollah movement. Israel's air force says it's preparing the way for a potential ground assault, and there are heightened fears of an all-out regional war.
On Friday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu "needs to listen to the international community".
"The calls are very clear when you have the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, other nations all calling for a de-escalation of this conflict," Albanese said.
"We are very concerned and the world is concerned about the escalation that is continuing here and the consequences for it."
