Gaza ceasefire

The Australian Government welcomes the recent announcement of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Palestinians, after 50 days of conflict in Gaza. We join other world leaders in calling for all parties to fully and completely comply with its terms.

This agreement must be durable and long-term, and tackle the underlying causes of the conflict. It must put an end to the rocket and mortar attacks on Israel, and enable the opening of border crossings for the entry of humanitarian aid and reconstruction materials into Gaza.

A return to negotiations towards a just and permanent peace must be the ultimate goal of all parties involved. There is a need to expedite efforts to find a two-state solution.Australia remains committed to Israel and a Palestinian state existing side-by-side in peace and security, within internationally-recognised borders.

I also acknowledge the role of Egypt in helping broker this ceasefire agreement.

Australia mourns the significant loss of life in Gaza and Israel from this conflict.

To meet humanitarian needs, I recently announced $15 million in urgent assistance to Gaza. This funding builds on our existing commitment of $56.5 million in development assistance to the Palestinian Territories in 2014-15.