Former Australian PM Cautions That Hamas Would Gain Advantage from Ceasefire
Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison is currently in Israel with former UK leader Boris Johnson. They are on a solidarity trip to visit Israeli towns that were targeted by Hamas on October 7. One of the towns they visited was Kibbutz Kfar Aza, where Israeli residents were either killed or taken hostage. During his visit, Mr. Morrison was asked about his support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s stance on not having a ceasefire until all hostages were released. He stated that a ceasefire would only benefit Hamas and prolong the war. Mr. Netanyahu has made it clear that there will be no ceasefire until all Israeli hostages are released.
Boris Johnson, on the other hand, has voiced concerns about the pro-Palestine rallies happening worldwide. He expressed his support and solidarity with Israel after what he called the “worst atrocity, the worst massacre” of Jewish people since World War II. Mr. Johnson emphasized that Israel has the right to defend itself and urged people participating in the rallies to consider the consequences and the actions of Hamas terrorists. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has not visited Israel yet but has had a conversation with Prime Minister Netanyahu in which he stated that both Israeli and Palestinian lives matter and emphasized the importance of protecting innocent civilians and upholding international law.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has also been involved in the Israel-Hamas conflict. He visited the West Bank to meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and expressed the US’s commitment to providing essential services to Gaza and supporting a two-state solution. He met with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders to reiterate US support for Israel’s right to self-defense. Mr. Blinken also had discussions in Iraq on how to prevent the escalation of the conflict in Gaza.
