Australians overwhelmingly (82%) think that Israel's deliberate blocking of aid into Gaza cannot be justified, according to fresh polling figures, with more than two in three Australians believing the Australian Government should do more to ensure civilians have access to food, water and medicine - including the vast majority of Labor voters.
The polling figures come as Israel maintains its 19-month stranglehold on the Gaza Strip, with a mere trickle of aid trucks able to enter in the past week to deliver desperately needed supplies. This follows an 11-week total siege, which saw the re-emergence of the threat of famine and crisis levels of hunger among more than two million Palestinians remaining in Gaza.
Oxfam Australia, ActionAid Australia, Plan International Australia, Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA, Caritas and ChildFund Australia commissioned the YouGov polling, which found:
- 82% of Australian voters feel that the prevention of food, medicine and water reaching civilians in Gaza is unjustified.
- 90% of Labor voters hold this view.
- 67% believe that the Australian Government should do more to support civilians being able to access food, water and medicine in Gaza
- 81% of Labor voters hold this view.
Aid organisations have been speaking out about Israel's deliberate obstruction of aid and violations of international law, including the deprivation of aid to Palestinians in Gaza and record-breaking killing of aid workers, since late 2023.
The organisations welcomed Foreign Minister Penny Wong joining 22 other foreign ministers urging the Israeli Government to "allow a full resumption of aid into Gaza immediately and enable the UN and humanitarian organisations to work independently and impartially to save lives, reduce suffering and maintain dignity".
The group of aid organisations urges the Australian Government to continue to do more to support civilians being able to access food, water and medicine in Gaza, in line with the expectations of the majority of Australians.
International Humanitarian Law (IHL) strictly prohibits the use of starvation as a method of warfare. As the occupying power in Gaza, Israel is bound by IHL to provide for the needs and protection of the population of Gaza. In 2018, the UN Security Council resolution 2417 unanimously condemned the use of starvation against civilians as a method of warfare and declared any denial of humanitarian access a violation of international law.
Oxfam Australia's Acting Chief Executive Dr Chrisanta Muli said:
"With 9000 trucks waiting to enter Gaza, and at least 500 trucks of aid required per day to support the needs of the population, the small amount we've seen so far enter Gaza represents a trickle of water into an ocean of need. Australians want their Government to take a stronger stance to halt the devastating destruction of Gaza and its people. They are clearly saying, 'The status quo is unacceptable'."
ActionAid Australia Executive Director Michelle Higelin said:
"Gaza is hell on earth right now. For women the situation is even worse due to a lack of maternal healthcare, gender-based violence, and the additional responsibility of caring for traumatised children. It's clear that most Australians are desperate for the Government to do more to ensure the Palestinian people have access to food, clean water and healthcare, but it must not stop there. People in Gaza desperately need a permanent ceasefire, and the international community must do everything in its power to make that happen."
Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA Executive Officer Kate Lee said:
"An overwhelming majority of Australians, as this poll demonstrates, and Australian civil society share a burning desire to see an end to this human-made crisis of famine and violence. Together with our partner organisation, the MA'AN Development Center we stand ready to provide immediate, lifesaving humanitarian relief, as soon as we are permitted to do so. As MA'AN have said - to stand with Gaza is not to take sides in a conflict, it is to defend the core values of civilization. We stand with Gaza."
Caritas Australia Humanitarian Manager Sally Thomas said:
"The situation in Gaza has presented Australians with a stark reminder of why International Humanitarian Law exists. Failing to uphold these laws strikes at the heart of human dignity, with the vulnerable – children, women, the sick and the elderly – bearing the brunt, and paying with their lives. What is taking place in Gaza is an extreme level of suffering that simply cannot be accepted."
ChildFund Australia Chief Executive Officer Margaret Sheehan said:
"Thousands of children in Gaza face imminent death due to aid restrictions. Children and families are suffering from acute malnutrition, widespread preventable diseases, and severe psychological trauma. International humanitarian law demands special protections for children in conflict, yet these are reported as being repeatedly and egregiously violated. Australians have made it clear through our polling that they want the Government to take a leading role in ensuring the immediate and unimpeded entry of humanitarian aid."
Plan International Australia Deputy Chief Executive Officer Hayley Cull said:
"Right now, children in Gaza are dying of starvation. Bakeries and hospitals have been bombed. Aid kitchens—Gaza's last lifeline—have collapsed under blockade restrictions. Living conditions for people in Gaza are inhumane.We need immediate action to unblock the delivery of urgent, lifesaving assistance to children and their families in Gaza. Israel must adhere to international law and allow the delivery of principled humanitarian assistance."
The organisations are calling on the Australian Government to:
- Continue to demand an immediate and permanent ceasefire;
- Join the United Kingdom, Canada and France in strengthening their position against Israel's egregious actions through its military operations and denial of humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza, and be clear that Australia will take concrete action should Israel not cease its offensive and lift restrictions on the principled delivery of aid;
- Use Australia's voice to publicly denounce breaches of international humanitarian law in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and continue to call for international law to be upheld.
