Australian Prime Minister Albanese Calls Netanyahu To Prevent Suffering In Gaza

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. (Wikimedia Commons/US Secretary of Defense)

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday his partner, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, "regarding" the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, the day after announcing Australia would recognize the Palestinian State for the first time.

PM Albanese said on Tuesday the reluctance of PM Netanyahu's government to listen to its allies contributed to Australia's decision to recognize the Palestinian State.

"He reiterated to me what he has said in public as well, namely to deny the consequences of innocent people," PM Albanese said in an interview with ABC, telling a phone call last Thursday with PM Netanyahu discussing the matter. August 12.

Australia will recognize the Palestinian State at the UN General Assembly next month, PM Albanese said on Monday, a move that adds to international pressure on Israel following similar announcements from France, Britain, and Canada.

Australia's decision to recognize the Palestinian state is conditional on a commitment received from the Palestinian Authority, including the Hamas militant group that will not engage in the country's entire future.

Separately, right-leaning opposition leader Sussan Ley said the move, which was broken with a bipartisan policy that had long been held over Israel and the Palestinian territories, was at risk of endangering Australia's relations with the United States.

PM Albanese said two weeks ago he would not comment on the schedule for Palestinian state recognition.

Its Central Left Labor Party, which won a majority increase in elections in May, was previously wary of dividing public opinion in Australia, which has significant Jewish and Muslim minorities.

But the public's mood has shifted sharply after Israel said it plans to take military control of Gaza, amid rising reports of hunger and malnutrition among its people.

Tens of thousands of demonstrators marched across the Sydney port bridge this month calling for aid deliveries in Gaza as the humanitarian crisis worsens.

"This decision is driven by popular sentiment in Australia that has shifted in recent months, with the majority of Australians looking to see an imminent end to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza," said Jessica Genauer, senior lecturer in international relations at the University of Flinders.

On the other hand, opposition leader Ley said the decision was "disrespectful" of the United States' main ally, which opposes Palestinian statehood.

"We will never take this step because it completely goes against our principles, namely that the recognition and solutions of the two countries must come at the end of the peace process, not before that," he said in an interview with 2GB radio station.