Extracts: Australia joins international partners, including the US, UK, EU, Germany and France, in condemning comments by a senior Israeli minister suggesting it "might be just and moral" to starve Palestinians in Gaza until hostages held by Hamas are returned Also noting that deliberately starving civilians is a war crime
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich made the statement at a conference in support of Jewish settlements on Monday, saying the country had no choice but to send humanitarian aid to Gaza
Quote
"It's not possible in today's global reality to manage a war — no one will allow us to starve two million people, even though that might be just and moral until they return the hostages"
Mr Smotrich, who is a key partner in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's governing coalition,
1. supports the reoccupation of Gaza 2. the rebuilding of Jewish settlements that were removed in 2005 3. and what he describes as the voluntary migration of large numbers of Palestinians out of the territory
Smotrich voiced opposition to the ceasefire deal and said the terms would amount to an Israeli surrender
European Union Foreign Policy chief Josep Borrell said the remarks demonstrated Mr Smotrich's "contempt for international law and for basic principles of humanity"
Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy said there can be "no justification" for Mr Smotrich's remarks "We expect the wider Israeli government to retract and condemn them" -- Haven't seen any retraction and condemnation from Israel.... Yet
