MEDIA RELEASES

AIJAC welcomes Israel-Hamas ceasefire after 11 days of fighting

May 21, 2021 | AIJAC

(Credit: Roman Yanushevsky/ Shutterstock)
(Credit: Roman Yanushevsky/ Shutterstock)

The Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) welcomes the ceasefire in Israel and Gaza reached yesterday.

AIJAC deeply regrets the loss of civilian loss of life. Israeli Jews, Israeli Arabs and foreign nationals were all killed by Hamas rockets indiscriminately fired from Gaza.

We also mourn the many innocent Palestinian civilians, cynically exploited yet again by Hamas as human shields, who have also been also victims of the past 11 days of fighting

Moreover, it now appears to be confirmed that at least 16 Gazans, including eight children, were killed by Hamas rockets that fell short on the first day of this conflict, and the total number of Palestinian victims of the hundreds of Hamas rockets that landed inside Gaza is likely to be higher.

AIJAC commends the Israel Defence Forces on their efforts to destroy Hamas military infrastructure and arsenal assets, while minimising civilian loss of life, including attempting to destroy approximately 100 kilometres of underground tunnels used by Hamas to build, store and transport weapons inside Gaza and to hide after attacks.

“This deadly conflict was provoked by a desperate Hamas focussed only on murdering Israeli civilians as a means of bidding for political power and Palestinian leadership, and uninterested in protecting its own people,” AIJAC Executive Director Dr Colin Rubenstein said.

“We learnt clearly during the past 11 days that Hamas has devoted huge resources to building vast tunnel networks to shelter its own fighters – and zero effort toward providing places for Gaza’s civilian residents to shelter in the conflicts Hamas continually provokes with Israel.

“Let us not forget that Hamas began this conflict by firing masses of missiles at Israeli on the evening of May 10 in an unprovoked attack. It’s a widely-proscribed terrorist group sworn to the destruction of Israel and backed and financed and armed by the Iranian regime, which has made clear its ambitions and efforts to wipe Israel off the map.

“AIJAC welcomes the ceasefire. Now the international community must find a way to prevent a repeat of this conflict by disarming and marginalising Hamas, while also rebuilding Gaza for the benefit of its residents.”

RELATED ARTICLES


Antony Loewenstein's article in "Good Weekend" (Screenshot)

AIJAC responses to Antony Loewenstein’s “Good Weekend” article, which the Age and Sydney Morning Herald refused to publish

May 24, 2023 | Featured, Media Releases
IHRA Ministerial Declaration Brussels 24 0

AIJAC proud to join Jewish organisations globally urging IHRA Antisemitism definition be part of UN Action Plan

May 24, 2023 | Featured, Media Releases
Image: Wikimedia Commons

AIJAC welcomes government’s new “Securing Faith-based Places” grant program

May 18, 2023 | Media Releases
Archibald Prize winner Julia Gutman with AIJAC Director of Public Affairs Walt Secord

AIJAC congratulates Archibald winner Julia Gutman

May 8, 2023 | Featured, Media Releases
One o the latest rocket launches towards Israel from Gaza (Image: Twitter)

AIJAC stands by Israel in wake of Gaza attacks

May 3, 2023 | Featured, Media Releases
Image: Shutterstock

Testimony: Criminal Code Amendment (Prohibit Nazi Symbols) Bill 2023

May 3, 2023 | Featured, Media Releases, Submissions

SIGN UP FOR AIJAC EMAILS

RECENT POSTS

Senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commanders attend a meeting with Iran’s Supreme Leader in Teheran, Iran (Image via Iran’s Supreme Leader’s website)

Essay: A New Multifront Strategy?

Erdogan vs. Kilicdaroglu: The former looks all but guaranteed to win a second round on May 29 (Image: Tolga Ildun/ Shutterstock)

What does Turkey’s election mean for Israel?

Netanyahu (right), with Defence Minister Gallant (top left), IDF Chief of Staff Halevi (bottom left) and other security officials (Image: GPO/ Flickr)

Israeli politics after “Shield and Arrow”

Biblio File: A Bob One Way

A scene from the movie BlacKkKlansman, which recalls an era of Blacks and Jews making common cause

Europa Europa: Antisemitism is its own thing

Senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commanders attend a meeting with Iran’s Supreme Leader in Teheran, Iran (Image via Iran’s Supreme Leader’s website)

Essay: A New Multifront Strategy?

Erdogan vs. Kilicdaroglu: The former looks all but guaranteed to win a second round on May 29 (Image: Tolga Ildun/ Shutterstock)

What does Turkey’s election mean for Israel?

Netanyahu (right), with Defence Minister Gallant (top left), IDF Chief of Staff Halevi (bottom left) and other security officials (Image: GPO/ Flickr)

Israeli politics after “Shield and Arrow”

Biblio File: A Bob One Way

A scene from the movie BlacKkKlansman, which recalls an era of Blacks and Jews making common cause

Europa Europa: Antisemitism is its own thing

SORT BY TOPICS