Penny Wong Condemns Israeli Airstrikes In Rafah, Calls For 'Humanitarian Ceasefire'
![Gaza's civil defence agency said that the death toll had risen to 45](https://d.ibtimes.com.au/en/full/1850044/gazas-civil-defence-agency-said-that-death-toll-had-risen-45.jpg?w=736&f=38b178f44379ea1f1afd5f7c5738eb39)
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong has denounced Israeli bombings in Gaza, which has reportedly led to the death of 45 people.
Wong reaffirmed calls for an expeditious humanitarian ceasefire, stressing the significance of safeguarding people and permitting aid to enter Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed that the assault was not meant to damage people while calling the incident a "tragic mistake" and promising a thorough inquiry.
Netanyahu stressed that there was no intention for civilian fatalities from the operation.
"In Rafah, we already evacuated about one million non-combatant residents and despite our utmost effort not to harm non-combatants, something unfortunately went tragically wrong."
During his address, MPs from the opposition started yelling.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, flames tore through the displaced people's tents in Tel al-Sultan on Sunday evening, killing 45 people -- 23 of them women and children.
"Events of the last 24 hours underscore that we must see a humanitarian ceasefire now so that civilians can be protected," Wong told Sky News.
The Australian government continues to demand that Israel and Hamas take action to save innocent lives and oppose Israel's current incursion in southern Gaza.
In light of the mounting violence, Senator Wong has urged for an emergency humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza to permit the delivery of supplies and safeguard people. Wong underlined the value of international collaboration and backed peace-brokering initiatives by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States.
"We continue to call for the release of all hostages by Hamas and Israel must allow aid to flow at scale, as directed by the International Court of Justice," she said.
Wong reaffirmed Australia's opposition to the ground incursion in southern Gaza and denounced Hamas for exploiting Palestinian civilians as "human shields," adding "The federal government has consistently opposed the ground offensive," raising worries about the security of the nearly 2.3 million people who were taking refuge in Rafah in Gaza.
"Every innocent life matters, whether it is Israeli or Palestinian," she added, calling for immediate action to prevent further civilian casualties.
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