Ex-minister calls on PM to ‘move beyond words’, floats Israel sanctions

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Ex-minister calls on PM to ‘move beyond words’, floats Israel sanctions

Ex-minister Ed Husic has called on Anthony Albanese to “move beyond words” after the Prime Minister unleashed on Israel for keeping a stranglehold on Gaza aid.

Fewer than 700 aid trucks have entered Gaza since Israel lifted a months-long blockade last week, according to Israeli authorities.

But aid groups, UN officials and many of Israel’s allies – including Australia – have said it was not enough to support the more than two million Palestinians facing famine and rampant disease.

Mr Husic, who lost his cabinet spot in the factional fighting that reshaped Mr Albanese’s second-term ministry, said on Tuesday it “certainly was important that the Prime Minister speak with the strength that he applied yesterday” but there was an “expectation” Australia would do more.

“I thought it was a very important intervention,” Mr Husic told the ABC.

“I think that it is critical we also appreciate the huge community sentiment that exists that has been propelled as a result of seeing what’s happening to children in Gaza, that the most vulnerable are being made to pay the heaviest price for the operations being undertaken by the Israeli government.

Camera IconEx-minister Ed Husic has called on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to ‘move beyond words’ on Israel. NewsWire / Philip Gostelow Credit: News Corp Australia

“I think we’ve got to the threshold where there is an expectation we move beyond words, and that we start to think along the lines of others, other friends in the international community, which will shape up ways in which we will now progress from talk to action, to be able to do whatever we can with others, to be able to bring about an end particularly … in the short term, the blockade that has affected so many.”

Mr Husic said moving “beyond words” looked like “calling in the Israeli ambassador to stress that Australia … expects that humanitarian aid, particularly medical supplies, be delivered” as well as a boost to Australia’s humanitarian support for Gazans.

He also said he suspected internationally co-ordinated sanctions on Israel were “under active consideration”.

“It’s clear that, from the statement issued by the ***, Canada and France, that that is obviously in their sphere of thought we should be ready to move when others move as well, to be able to exert maximum international pressure to stop this blockade and to help people in Gaza,” Mr Husic said.

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