Overnight, at the United Nations General Assembly, Australia formally recognised the state of Palestine, joining the 147 UN member states that had already done so.
The international community's support for the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state based on justice, equality, and the will of the Palestinian people is essential. Palestinians have a right to live freely and with dignity.
While we welcome Australia's recognition of Palestine, it is no substitute for the urgent and meaningful action that Australia must take to uphold its moral and legal obligations to prevent further atrocities against the Palestinian people, and to avoid complicity in the war crimes Israel is committing.
Just last week, the 'United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel' found that Israel is responsible for the commission of genocide in Gaza. This follows the International Association of Genocide Scholars resolution passed earlier this month that stated that Israel's policies and actions in Gaza fulfil the definition of genocide set out in the 1948 United Nations Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. In January 2024, the International Court of Justice found that Israel's actions plausibly amount to genocide. These findings underpin the increasingly urgent calls from Palestinians, UN experts, genocide scholars and human rights organisations for the international community to uphold its legal obligations and intervene.
Throughout this conflict, Israel has repeatedly, illegally and systematically, prevented humanitarian access to Gaza. Israel has blocked aid crossings, allowing almost no aid to enter Gaza since the start of March 2025. It has created preventable famine-level conditions that are putting millions of lives at risk.
By conservative estimates, since October 2023, the Israeli military has killed over 61,000 people in its deadly assault on Gaza. According to Israel's own data, 83% of these people have been civilians, including at least 17,400 children.
Israel's hostilities have also resulted in the highest known death tolls among journalists and health and humanitarian workers in any conflict zone. Palestinian staff have accounted for 98% of aid worker fatalities.
Despite the International Court of Justice ruling its occupation and settlements as illegal, and the United Nations General Assembly resolution ordering Israel's withdrawal by 18 September 2025, Israel has made no attempt to end its occupation of Palestine. To the contrary, it has approved major expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank in the period since the United Nations resolution.
Israel's military aggression is unprecedented, grossly disproportionate, and unjustifiable. It is in flagrant breach of international law.
The international community, including Australia, has obligations under the Genocide Convention, International Humanitarian Law and the Arms Trade Treaty to hold Israel to account for its violations.
As Israel escalates its military offensive on Gaza City and displaces hundreds of thousands of Palestinian civilians, we reiterate our call to the Australian Government to show leadership and demand justice for the people of Palestine. Words are not enough. Australia must move beyond mere rhetoric and condemnation of Israel's actions and take steps to uphold its international legal obligations. It must utilise every political, diplomatic and economic channel available to:
- Continue to demand an immediate and permanent ceasefire and the immediate release of all Israeli hostages and unlawfully detained Palestinians.
- Take action to uphold international law and back international accountability mechanisms, including the International Court of Justice and broader accountability measures.
- Halt transfer of lethal weapons and military support to Israel to ensure Australia is not complicit in crimes committed in illegally occupied Palestinian territory.
- Apply full diplomatic pressure to restore principled, safe, unimpeded and sustained access to humanitarian relief in Gaza via a return to UN-led aid delivery mechanism grounded in humanitarian law.
- Advocate for a political solution that ends Israel's illegal occupation of Palestine, lifts the blockade on Gaza and respects Palestinian right to self-determination.
Oxfam Australia Acting Chief Executive, Dr Chrisanta Muli, said:
"Australia's recognition of Palestine is a landmark decision affirming the Palestinian people's right to self-determination, but it must be more than symbolic. Recognition must be tied to urgent action to end the genocide, lift the blockade, dismantle illegal settlements, and support Palestinian sovereignty and rebuilding."
Amnesty International spokesperson for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Mohamed Duar, said:
"UN recognition of Palestine as a state is undoubtedly significant, but unless this recognition is accompanied by urgent, decisive action by the international community to end Israel's genocide, unlawful occupation, and crime against humanity of apartheid against the Palestinian people it risks becoming a hollow gesture.
"Words alone won't stop the atrocities. Recognition must be tied to real accountability: Australia must halt arms exports, divest from arms companies that continue to sell arms to Israel, sanction Israeli officials implicated in crimes under international law and continue to push
Israel to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza."
ChildFund Australia CEO, Margaret Sheehan, said:
"During 23 months of relentless war in Gaza, we've seen targeted and systematic attacks on the very places where children should feel safest - their homes, schools and playgrounds. We're now seeing the starvation of children and their families as a direct result of Israeli aid restrictions. While Australia's recognition of Palestinian statehood is an important step, it is not enough. It must be accompanied by urgent and decisive action to protect children and secure an immediate and permanent ceasefire."
Oxfam Australia Acting Chief Executive, Dr Chrisanta Muli, said:
"Australia's recognition of Palestine is a landmark decision affirming the Palestinian people's right to self-determination, but it must be more than symbolic. Recognition must be tied to urgent action to end the genocide, lift the blockade, dismantle illegal settlements, and support Palestinian sovereignty and rebuilding."
Susanne Legena, CEO of Plan International Australia, said:
"One out of every three people in Gaza have not eaten for days, and eight in every 10 people who have reportedly died from starvation are children. The international community has a moral and legal obligation to work together to bring an end to the violence and ensure unhindered access to humanitarian aid. This is a fundamental right for the people of Gaza."
Kate Lee, Executive Officer, Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA, said:
"Australians have mobilised in great numbers, and this recognition of Palestine is a direct result of their demands. But the call to the government is only growing louder: to use all influence, pressure, and diplomatic measures to stop the famine, and to end all military trade with Israel - including parts and components - so Australian exports don't fuel war crimes."
Michelle Higelin, Executive Director, ActionAid Australia, said:
"Australia's recognition of Palestine is an important step, but it has a moral and legal obligation to do more. Women and their families in Palestine are living through a brutal genocide. Right now, the Israeli military is intensifying its attack on Gaza City, with high rise apartments under relentless bombardment. Palestinians are being starved by Israel's blockade, and forcibly re-displaced with nowhere safe to go. Australia must take urgent action to end Israel's impunity."
Signatories
- Act for Peace
- ActionAid Australia
- Amnesty International Australia
- Anglican Overseas Ai
- Australian Conservation Foundation
- ChildFund Australia
- Climate Action Network Australia
- Global Mission Partners
- Islamic Relief Australia
- Jubilee Australia Research Centre
- Muslim Aid Australia International
- Oxfam Australia
- People's Climate Assembly
- Plan International Australia
- Save the Children Australia
- Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA
- WaterAid Australia
