Australia backs call for cease-fire in Gaza

ISTANBUL

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese Friday backed a call by the US, Egypt, and Qatar in pressing for a cease-fire in Gaza, urging “all parties to agree to the deal.”

“Any delay will only see more lives lost. Civilians must be protected, hostages must be released, and aid must flow,” said Albanese on X.

Egyptian, Qatari, and US mediators urged Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas on Thursday to conclude a cease-fire and hostage release deal with no further delays or excuses.

A trilateral joint statement published by the Qatari Amiri Diwan, the emir's office, said: “There is no further time to waste nor excuses from any party for further delay.”

The mediators expressed readiness “to present a final bridging proposal that resolves the remaining implementation issues in a manner that meets the expectations of all parties.”

They also called on Israel and Hamas “to resume urgent discussions on Aug. 15 in Doha or Cairo to close all remaining gaps and commence implementation of the deal without further delay.”

Indirect talks between Israel and Hamas mediated by the US, Qatar, and Egypt have failed to agree on a permanent cease-fire that allows a prisoner swap between Israelis and Palestinians.

The efforts have been hampered by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's rejection of Hamas' call to halt hostilities.

Israel, flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7 last year following a cross-border attack by Hamas.

Nearly 40,000 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 91,700 injured, according to local health authorities.

Over 10 months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which ordered it to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.