Albanese accuses Netanyahu of being in ‘denial’ about consequences of war in Gaza

London/Canberra: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of being in denial about the consequences of war in Gaza as he vowed to continue relations despite the escalating disagreement over Australia’s move to recognise Palestine.

French President Emmanuel Macron hailed Australia’s decision to announce recognition at the United Nations next month, which the Netanyahu government has criticised as a reward for the terror group Hamas.

Albanese said he had spoken with Netanyahu on Thursday and was unconvinced by his arguments.

“I spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu, he again reiterated to me what he has said publicly as well, which is to be in denial about the consequences that are occurring for innocent people,” Albanese told ABC Radio National on Tuesday.

“If Israel continues to not heed our warnings, we’re not going to stop diplomatic relations. That’s completely counterproductive. We have diplomatic relations with a range of countries around the world that we have disagreements with but you engage, and we’ll continue to do that.”

Macron said the Australian move would help build a pathway to peace in Gaza in the wake of decisions by France and others, casting it as the only way to ensure security for all.

But the Israeli government lashed the decision and cited a claim from Hamas leader Ghazi Hamad that recognising Palestine was one of the “fruits” of the attack his group launched against Israel in October 2023.

Albanese announced the move to recognise Palestine after weeks of deliberations as well as a conversation with Netanyahu last Thursday and a phone call with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday.

Macron, who led the latest wave of calls for Palestinian statehood with a declaration of his intent on July 24, linked the Australian decision to similar moves by the UK and others.

“I welcome the fact that Australian Prime Minister [Anthony Albanese] is joining the momentum we created in New York, which has already been supported by the United Kingdom, Canada, Portugal, and others,” he said on social media.

“This reflects our commitment to the two-state solution and to the need to collectively rebuild a political pathway, without which there can be no peace and security for all.”

Opposition home affairs spokesperson Andrew Hastie said Israel’s plan to expand military operations to take over Gaza City threatened the lives of the remaining hostages held by Hamas.

“Absolutely it does. Yes. No question,” he said, when asked on ABC News Breakfast whether Israel’s advancements would endanger the lives of the hostages who are still alive.

“My heart breaks for the families who have loved ones, who have been used in propaganda videos, who’ve been shown digging their own graves. I’d love to see those people return to their families.”

While other European leaders made no comment on Australia’s decision, there was further criticism of Netanyahu and his government for deciding this week to intensify the war by seeking to take control of Gaza City, the biggest population centre in the enclave.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said she had “deep concern” over the military plan and put this view to Abbas in a phone call on Monday.

Meloni believed the Israeli decisions “appear to be leading to further military escalation” in the Gaza Strip, her office said, and she described this as “unjustifiable and unacceptable”.

The Italian prime minister has argued against recognising Palestine at this point because of her concerns about the timing.

“I am very much in favour of the State of Palestine, but I am not in favour of recognising it prior to establishing it,” she told the Italian media last month.

Her comments on the Israeli plan to take Gaza City signal the growing concerns in Europe about Netanyahu and his military strategy, amid warnings about starvation, civilian casualties and lack of medical care in the territory.

Israel’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sharren Haskel, slammed Australia for planning to recognise a Palestinian state when Hamas was refusing to return the last 50 hostages it took in the October 7 attack.

“Fifty of our hostages remain in Hamas’s dungeons of torture, being starved to death – being forced to dig their own graves,” she said, in a reference to a video of hostage Evyatar David released last week.

“Yet the Australian government has decided now is the right time to reward the monsters of October 7 with recognition of a Palestinian state.”

The Times of Israel reported that Hamas senior leader Ghazi Hamad said last week that the moves to recognise a Palestinian state were the result of “the fruits” of the October 7 attacks.

“Why are all the countries recognising a Palestinian state today? Before October 7, did any country dare recognise a Palestinian state?” Hamad said on Al Jazeera.

“The fruits of October 7 are what caused the entire world to open its eyes to the Palestinian issue – and they are moving toward it with force. That is, that the Palestinian people are a people who deserve a country.”

Albanese has declared that Hamas must have no place in a Palestinian state, a position also taken by European leaders, while also saying the Australian decision on Monday was predicated on assurances that Palestine would accept Israel’s right to exist.

Haskel cited the Hamas interview to accuse the Australian government of rewarding a terrorist organisation that committed the worst slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust.

“This decision by Australia won’t change anything in Israel or Gaza, but let’s be quite clear, this is all about domestic politics, not peace,” she said.

Palestinian critics of the Australian decision, including several cited by this masthead, also argued the formal recognition of statehood would not change anything in the war in Gaza.

With Brittany Busch

Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on what’s making headlines around the world. Sign up for our weekly What in the World newsletter.