ISTANBUL

Pro-Palestine sloganeering and call for sanctions on Israel welcomed newly-elected Australian lawmakers on Tuesday as the parliament convened for first time since Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was re-elected in May.

Governor-General Sam Mostyn delivered an opening address to joint session of the 48th parliament.

Mostyn’s address coincided with demonstration by pro-Palestine protesters, many of whom were detained, before being removed from the parliament house, SBS News reported.

Senator Mehreen Faruqi, raising a banner “sanction Israel,” asked Albanese: "Prime minister, Gaza is starving, will you sanction Israel?"

Australia was among 26 nations which issued a joint statement on Monday, calling for an immediate end to Israeli attacks in Gaza and condemned blocking of humanitarian aid to Palestinians.

People also gathered outside the parliament, calling on the Albanese government to sanction Israel.

More than 59,000 Palestinians have been killed, 142,511 others injured, in Israel’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip since October 2023, according to the enclave's Health Ministry. The relentless bombing and blockade has destroyed the enclave, and led to deaths from starvation.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.