You truly have to wonder what is behind the Coalition’s full throated support of Israel’s actions in Palestine at this point. Every major humanitarian organisation has concluded it is a genocide. International law experts have concluded it is in breach of international law and humanitarian law. Its leaders are wanted for arrest by the International Court of Justice after it found there were “reasonable grounds” of criminal responsibility by Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes.

What Palestinians are showing us every single day and have been showing us for almost two years is some of the worst footage to ever be shown, and it has been proven that starving Palestinians are being slaughtered at Israeli-US controlled ‘aid’ sites. The population is entering stage five malnutrition – which causes irreversible damage – because of Israel’s refusal to allow in food, water, fuel and baby formula, let alone medical supplies. Every hospital has been bombed to almost closure. There are no safe spaces for civilians. Civilians, who have been displaced multiple times in 22 months are told to go into areas which are then bombed by Israel. Doctors are reporting children are being deliberately shot by Israeli snipers. Israeli ministers and MPs openly make genocidal statements.

There is so much evidence this is a genocide. And yet this is what we have from the Coalition’s Michaelia Cash:

It is disappointing that once again the Albanese Government is supporting a statement attacking Israel. First and foremost, any moral outrage about the situation in Gaza should be directed at Hamas.

Hamas are a listed terrorist organisation who have made it clear they do not believe Israel has the right to exist.

It is disturbing but not surprising that Hamas has welcomed the statement signed by the Albanese Government.

Hamas could end the suffering of the people of Gaza by freeing the remaining Israeli hostages and laying down their weapons.

This war began because of Hamas’s abhorrent attack on Israeli civilians and they bear responsibility for the continuation of this conflict.

It is important that aid flows into Gaza, but unfortunately Hamas has not a been allowing this aid to flow freely. Proper quantities of food and other aid must be provided to the people of Gaza.

However, the right system must be in place so that it can be distributed without Hamas intervening in the process.

The Albanese Government’s decision to blame Israel for Hamas’s disruption of the flow of aid is appalling.

There is no justification for genocide. No act which makes allowances for it. And as has been reported multiple times, Hamas has offered to release the hostages at all stages of Israel’s assault, including the early days, but Israel has rejected the offer. There is no evidence Hamas has been stopping the flow of aid, but there is all the evidence that Israel (and the US) have turned humanitarian aid deliveries into killing zones. This statement is not based in evidence.