A Palestinian looks at the debris from fighting following the hostage rescue operation by Israeli special forces in Nuseirat camp, central Gaza, on June 8, 2024
A Palestinian looks at the debris from fighting following the hostage rescue operation by Israeli special forces in Nuseirat camp, central Gaza, on June 8, 2024. AFP

Early Childhood Education Minister Anne Aly will represent Australia at the UN-backed Middle East emergency talks, which will be held Tuesday in Jordan's capital Amman, to discuss the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Aly will join U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the international conference organized by Egypt and Jordan, and backed by the United Nations.

"This conference is an opportunity for Australia to continue to use its respective voice to call for a ceasefire," Aly told SBS World News before her departure, SBS News reported.

Aly, an outspoken critic of Israel's military operations in Gaza, has maintained that the loss of thousands of Palestinian lives to reportedly remove Hamas is "absolutely not" worth it.

About 36,801 civilians have reportedly lost their lives and thousands have been forced to flee from Gaza since Israel began its offensive against Hamas.

"War has rules and war has standards that are agreed upon by the international community, and if Israel wants to call this a war, then they must abide by those rules," she said.
"It is absolutely unacceptable, the number of civilian casualties that have been lost."

Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong said Aly, an Egyptian-born Australian, would bring her professional expertise to the talks, AAP reported.

"The human suffering in Gaza is unacceptable," Wong said on Monday. "Australia has been part of the international push for a ceasefire, for humanitarian aid to reach Gazans in desperate need, and for hostages to be released. Australia's participation in this conference is part of that international effort."

Calling the humanitarian situation in Gaza "catastrophic," Aly said Australia will support the diplomatic efforts to end the war in the region.

"Our participation in this conference will emphasize Australia's ongoing support for diplomatic efforts to end the conflict and to address the humanitarian crisis," she said.

Defense Industry Minister Pat Conroy too called for a ceasefire in Gaza. "It's fair to say that as a conflict has gone on, and we've been horrified by the images that we've been seeing, and that's why we've been steadfast in calling for a humanitarian ceasefire," he told ABC's Radio National.

The federal government has pledged AU$62.5 million in humanitarian aid, with AU$41 million directed to Gaza, since Israel began military operations against Hamas in October 2023.