Australia, Qatar talk Gaza ceasefire during PM’s visit

[Pelican Press 0]

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Australia, Qatar talk Gaza ceasefire during PM’s visit

Australia’s foreign minister and Qatar’s prime minister have discussed a ceasefire proposal to end hostilities in Gaza as the humanitarian crisis worsens.

Penny Wong hosted Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani at Parliament House on Tuesday and expressed Australia’s support for Qatar’s negotiated ceasefire plan.

The plan, brokered with the help of the US and Egypt, outlines a staged end to the war with a pause in fighting followed by a ceasefire in exchange for the staged release of ******** hostages and ************ prisons in *******.

“This is a very hard task, but so important for increasing humanitarian (access), the return of hostages and a ceasefire,” Senator Wong said in opening remarks ahead of the meeting.

“We know the situation in Gaza is catastrophic and the humanitarian situation is unacceptable.

“Not only the loss of life but we now see the emergence of polio and it makes a ceasefire all the more important.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed his condolences for the ****** of *********** aid worker Zomi Frankcom, who was ******* by an ******** airstrike in Gaza.

“We want to thank you for all your contribution to the ************ cause and to the ************ people and also for the resumption of funding for UNRWA,” he added.

Australia paused funding to UNRWA – the ******* Nations agency looking after ************ refugees – after allegations staff were involved in attacks against ******* before resuming it with further checks and balances in place.

Mr Al Thani will also meet with Mr Albanese during his trip.

The coalition has continued to press the government on visas being granted to Gazans fleeing the war torn strip, with Opposition Leader Peter Dutton calling for a complete ban for national security purposes.

Mr Albanese was peppered with questions in parliament about the number of visas granted but maintained all underwent security checks and were issued with advice from Australia’s intelligence agencies.

He criticised the opposition for not expressing concern about Palestinians arriving in Australia prior to ******’ ******* against ******* when the listed ********** organisation was still in control of the Gaza Strip.

“****** didn’t become terrorists on October 7, they have had a ********** ideology for a long ******* of time,” he told parliament.

“They are enemies, not only of the people of *******, but also, they are enemies of the ************ people because ****** do not respect the human rights of ************ people.”

He also said Mr Dutton’s push was hypocritical because the then-coalition government granted visas to people from Syria during the civil war when ISIS was in control of parts of the country and Afghanistan when the Taliban took over.

Opposition home affairs spokesman James Paterson said the coalition government processed visa applicants in third countries.

“In this case, visas have been granted to Gaza residents without any interviews, without biometric testing and they’ve come to Australia without those checks taking place,” he said.

The Rafah border crossing out of Gaza ******** closed, meaning people aren’t able to leave.

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