Foreign Minister Penny Wong has sought further evidence that UN aid staff were involved in the Hamas terror attacks of October 7, admitting she does not yet have all the evidence to hand.
Australia and other countries including the US, UK, Switzerland and Germany paused their funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) after the agency announced it would investigate Israel's allegations that 12 of its 13,000 staff played a part in the attacks or had links to Hamas.
Senator Wong told the ABC's 7.30 she had sought evidence from Israel, but had not received a response and had not asked UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini to share any evidence he might have had.
She admitted she was not in possession of all the evidence.
"No, we're not," she said.
"We have spoken to the Israelis and we have asked for further evidence."
When pressed on why she did not ask Mr Lazzarini, Senator Wong reiterated she had asked Israel, and she was not aware if Mr Lazzarini had evidence.
"He may, I don't know what he has," she said.
British news outlet Channel 4 cast doubt over the allegations, reporting a dossier Israel provided to the UN to support its allegations contained "no evidence" to support the claims.
But Senator Wong maintained Israel's allegations were serious, noting UNRWA itself had determined an investigation was warranted.
"I think it is clear from UNRWA's own actions that they regard these allegations as serious," she said.
"They have taken action including terminating the employment of a number of employees and putting in place an inquiry – in fact, there are two inquiries."
Senator Wong last week hinted Australia could soon reinstate its funding to the agency, when she emphasised it was the only organisation providing substantive support to the occupied Palestinian territories.
Australia had already doubled its annual core funding to UNRWA – from $10 million to $20 million – but an additional $6 million, that Senator Wong announced on her recent trip to the Middle East, had been paused.
"The primary concern is making sure that other donors, particularly those that have not provided their next round of operational funding – core funding – that that confidence can be attained before the end of the month," she said.
Labor MP criticises Israel over ceasefire rejection
Earlier on Thursday, Labor MP Josh Wilson said Israel's rejection of a Hamas ceasefire offer was "heartbreaking".
Hamas had proposed a Gaza ceasefire of four-and-a-half months, during which all hostages would go free, Israel would withdraw its troops from the Gaza Strip and an agreement would be reached on an end to the war.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu renewed his pledge to destroy Hamas and said Israel was "on the way to an absolute victory".
Mr Wilson said the continuation of the war was "unacceptable".
"It means more than 100 Israeli hostages remain in captivity. It's abhorrent that they were ever taken," he said.
"[And] it means the unconscionable bombardment and suffering of the people of Gaza will continue."
Mr Wilson said Israel's bombardment of Gaza was "not self-defence … The truth is that Gaza is being bombed into rubble, with 70 per cent of buildings damaged and the entire population being squeezed further and further south in starvation conditions without basic medical services," he said. "It is wrong and it has to stop."
Senator Wong said Australia's position on the war was "crystal clear", citing its support for an "immediate humanitarian ceasefire" at the United Nations and in a joint statement with Canada and New Zealand.
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