Colleagues, two years ago we came together behind a Call to Action.
And for all the reasons we have heard today, that call remains critical.
The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza is beyond anything that humanity can ever accept.
Others have, in much more eloquent terms, described the reality of the tens of thousands of children killed or wounded and those that carry trauma.
And of course, in the West Bank, the situation is worsening. In the first six months of this year alone, settler violence has driven more than 15,000 children from their homes.
Children who did not choose this conflict but who are paying its price.
We reaffirm our belief that every child should be able to grow up safely. With a home, with food, with dignity – and that is true in Palestine as it is anywhere in the world.
Colleagues, Australia will continue to be part of the international pressure for peace and for unrestricted humanitarian aid.
Since October 2023, we have committed more than $160 million in humanitarian assistance to support Palestinians in Gaza and Lebanon through partners like UNICEF.
And we continue to direct much-needed aid to women and children in the West Bank.
But as others have reminded us, again and again, aid that cannot get through cannot save lives.
So we again call on Israel, to do what is right, and to allow safe, unhindered aid access to Gaza at scale.
Colleagues, we also cannot protect children in conflict zones if we don’t protect the aid workers trying to reach them.
And today Jordan and Australia are convening a meeting of signatories of the Declaration for the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel.
It now has 130 signatories – more than two-thirds of the UN.
We urge every country to join us to help drive practical action.
For humanitarian workers everywhere and for the children they serve.