Doorstop, Canberra

Penny Wong, Foreign Minister: Good morning. We welcome the ceasefire between Israel and Hizballah. The people of Lebanon will welcome this ceasefire. The people of Israel will welcome this ceasefire. What I would say is that we hope that this is a catalyst for a broader ceasefire in the region. And we look forward to the day when there is a ceasefire too, in Gaza.

Journalist: Minister, are you disappointed that this deal doesn't extend to Gaza?

Foreign Minister: Look, we've been calling for a ceasefire in Gaza for over 11 months now. And we see every week the death toll rising, more children, more women. We again join with the overwhelming majority of the international community to urge a ceasefire in Gaza. But today we are very pleased to see that there is a ceasefire with Hizballah and that the people of Lebanon and Israel can know some peace.

Journalist: Do you think this shows that international pressure on Israel is working?

Foreign Minister: Look, I'm not going to go into the reasons why this has occurred. What I would say is Australia has been advocating for a ceasefire, along with the majority of the international community for a long time in Gaza. And we made clear our position in relation to Lebanon earlier. Obviously, we want to see diplomatic efforts to ensure that the relevant UN Security Council resolutions are complied with. That is in the interest of all parties. Thank you very much.