IN THE MEDIA

Prolonging Gaza’s suffering, one ill-advised statement at a time

July 24, 2025 | Colin Rubenstein

The theft of aid by Hamas has gravely affected humanitarian efforts (Image: X)
The theft of aid by Hamas has gravely affected humanitarian efforts (Image: X)

Daily Telegraph – 24 July 2025

 

On Monday, Australia joined 27 other Western countries in issuing a statement on the so-called “Occupied Palestinian territories”  that was not only badly misguided, but deeply counter-productive to the aims that the signatories say they want – resolving the ongoing war in Gaza in a way that leads to lasting security and normalcy for both Gazans and Israelis.

And the timing was particularly destructive. US-mediated talks hosted by Qatar have for weeks seemed poised to reach a six-week Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal that could potentially become permanent, but would certainly have led to a massive aid surge into Gaza in the meantime.

US Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs Adam Boehler said last weekend that “Israel at this point is bending over backwards” to reach an agreement. And he and other officials have been very clear that Hamas is currently refusing any agreement, with one unnamed senior American official telling the media, “if there is no agreement this time, the blame will lie fully with Hamas.” But why would Hamas agree to any deal when statements like the one Australia signed give it every reason to continue refusing?

This week’s statement called for an “immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire” and a return to the old UN-dominated aid system for Gaza, which Hamas exploited routinely in order to maintain itself in power and keep the war going.

Both can only benefit Hamas – not the longer-term interests of Gaza’s civilians.

Tellingly, Hamas has applauded the  joint statement on both points, specifically mentioning that it calls for “immediate cessation of the war” and “introduction of humanitarian aid through the United Nations.” Meanwhile, not only Israel but the US mediators urgently trying to reach a genuinely sustainable ceasefire, have been highly critical of it. US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee labeled it “disgusting” and said that blaming Israel for the lack of a ceasefire is “irrational.”

Hamas also tellingly says that the joint statement constitutes “international recognition of the fascist occupation’s crimes against innocent civilians, including the deliberate starvation policy.” This is not that surprising because the statement is indeed a propaganda coup for the terrorist group, absurdly accepting as proven facts Hamas-sourced claims about the situation in Gaza and the aid efforts there. Unfortunately, these claims have often been amplified by UN agencies which have a record of cooperating with Hamas.

The statement does call for the ‘unconditional’ release of the Israeli hostages. However, it does so in a way that makes little sense, because it says a “negotiated ceasefire” is the way to bring home the hostages, even as the statement removes all incentives for Hamas to actually agree to release them. Why should Hamas agree to give up what it views as its key asset when numerous nations are demanding Israel simply end all pressure on the terror group unconditionally, saying the Jewish state must end the war immediately, unconditionally and permanently, and allow Hamas to go back to siphoning off and selling aid to support itself and pay its fighters?

It is also noteworthy that an implication of the joint statement is to, in practice, invalidate the repeated past assurances from Prime Minister Albanese and Foreign Minister Wong that our policy is that Hamas must have no future role in Gaza. After an “immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire” is put in place, why in the world would Hamas agree to give up control?

Instead, Hamas will go back to controlling the strip, and use that power to focus on preparing for the future rounds of conflict with Israel it openly says it will seek. As a result, reconstruction of Gaza will be all but impossible because no one will give the necessary funds to a Hamas-controlled entity. In addition, more rounds of war will occur, and Gazans will continue to suffer grievously for decades.

So while the current situation in Gaza is indeed tragic and difficult, the provisions of this week’s ill-informed and badly misguided statement from Australia and other nations are likely to counterproductively worsen the situation. Meanwhile, a better path is easy to perceive – Hamas must be subject to maximum pressure to agree to the ceasefire that is on the table, which would immediately relieve the humanitarian situation in Gaza. And subsequently, it must be subject to maximum pressure – including a credible threat that Israeli military action in Gaza will resume – to agree to lay down its arms and accept exile for its leadership so Gaza can be rebuilt, and the suffering of Gazans can be ended permanently.

It is both strange and somewhat worrying that political leaders in Canberra and other Western capitals cannot cut through the fog of the Hamas propaganda coming out of Gaza and comprehend these obvious realities.

Dr Colin Rubenstein AM is Executive Director of the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC).

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