Foreign Minister Penny Wong has hosed down suggestions Australia could demand assurances in the Middle East for a ceasefire in the Israel and Hamas conflict.
However, during the first stop on her visit to the region in Jordan, Wong said Australia could still add to calls for peace in the Middle East as demands for a sustainable ceasefire grow.
“I don’t think Australia can come to the region, [and] demand specific assurances,” she told reporters in Jordan.
“What we can do is come to the region and express our voice to that of the cause of peace … our view is that peace ultimately will come if there is genuine progress towards peace and security for Israel and for the Palestinian people and their legitimate aspirations for statehood.”
It comes as Australia pledged a further $21.5 million in humanitarian assistance for the region, with a particular focus on citizens in Gaza.
The funding includes $4 million for the Red Cross, $6 million for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, and $11.5 million for refugee programs in Lebanon and Jordan.
Australia has now supplied $46 million in humanitarian aid since the conflict escalated following the October 7 attacks by Hamas, which has been designated a terrorist organisation by the federal government.
Wong held talks with Jordan’s foreign minister Ayman Safadi as part of the first stop of her Middle Eastern trip.
She also had a meeting with Jordan’s King Abdullah II and the UN’s senior humanitarian co-ordinator Sigrid Kaag.
Wong said the humanitarian situation in Gaza is dire.
“We have a role to play as Australia. We’re obviously not a party to the region, but I hope we are a respected voice, and we can also continue to provide assistance from afar,” she told reporters on Tuesday.
“I hope that the international community can work towards a just and enduring peace, [in] which Israelis live in peace and security and Palestinians are able to achieve their legitimate aspirations for statehood.”
The foreign minister, who is in Israel, will also visit the Occupied Palestinian Territories and the United Arab Emirates during the Middle Eastern trip.
She has been criticised by the Coalition for not visiting the southern Israeli towns where the Hamas attacks took place.
Deputy Liberal Leader Sussan Ley said it was “unforgivable” Senator Wong would not go.
“I hope she changes her mind on that,” she told Sky News.
“She should see the areas that on October the 7th changed this landscape forever, both politically and for the communities.”
Crikey encourages robust conversations on our website. However, we’re a small team, so sometimes we have to reluctantly turn comments off due to legal risk. Thanks for your understanding and in the meantime, have a read of our moderation guidelines.