Press conference, Adelaide

Penny Wong, Foreign Minister: Morning everybody. Thanks very much for coming. I'm joined this morning by the Minister for International Development, Dr Anne Aly, and together we'll be announcing a further package of Australian support for Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

But I want to first address two other matters. Australia is alarmed by the escalation between Israel and Iran. This risks further destabilising a region that is already volatile. We call on all parties to refrain from actions and rhetoric that would further exacerbate tensions. We all understand the need, the threat of Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile program. It represents a threat to international peace and security. And we urge the parties to prioritise dialogue and diplomacy. In terms of Australians in the region, please monitor Smartraveller closely for the latest travel advice on the Middle East.

Secondly, on the air crash in Ahmedabad. This is heartbreaking, and I know I speak for all Australians when I say this is heartbreaking. Our thoughts are with all affected, including our good friends in India. And I had a message exchange with Dr Jaishankar expressing the condolences of Australians to him. We also think of our good friends in the United Kingdom and in many other countries. It's a devastating and distressing day for these two countries and many others. At this stage I have not been advised that any Australians were on board, but we remain closely engaged with Indian authorities.

Now to today's announcement. As you all know, the situation for the people of Gaza is catastrophic. Civilians killed by the thousands, people starving, children going without food and medical supplies, schools, hospitals and homes destroyed. I know so many Australians are distressed by the suffering and many Australians are frustrated that we have been unable to move the dial on our own. But as I said - that that doesn't mean you do nothing. What it means is we do what we can by working with partners. So, we've coordinated with partners on sanctions, we've coordinated with partners on calls for ceasefire and on the release of hostages. And you've seen both of those things again this week. And of course, we also act together with other donors to provide life saving aid. We provided more than $100 million in humanitarian assistance for civilians affected by the conflict in Gaza and Lebanon since the 7th of October 2023. And we will be adding to this today, and Minister Aly will make that announcement.

I want to close on this point; aid is being prevented from reaching those who need it. Children are injured and children are starving. Israel's ongoing restriction of aid into Gaza is costing lives. Israel must allow aid to enter unhindered. And Australia has consistently been part of the international call on Israel to allow a full and immediate resumption of aid into Gaza in line with the binding orders of the International Court of Justice. We repeat that call today. I'll now hand over to Dr Aly.

Minister Anne Aly: Thank you. Thank you, Foreign Minister. Today we're announcing that the Australian Government has formed a new partnership with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to provide urgent medical care to the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Australia will contribute $5 million to the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation to deliver critical medical supplies to Jordan's field hospitals operating within Gaza. These hospitals in Gaza have treated over 600,000 patients and undertaken more than 22,000 surgical procedures since the start of the conflict. The Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation is a partner of choice for many, and that includes Australia, who want to make a difference.

The Australian Government will also provide $5 million to UNICEF for nutritional support for children affected by the conflict. All of Gaza is at imminent risk of famine and children under the age of five are the most impacted. Now, the devastation in Gaza is unacceptable. Every child deserves safety. Every child deserves medical care. Every child deserves food. And the support that we're announcing today equates to roughly 2.9 million rations of nutritional support. That's enough to meet the needs of 8,000 children in Gaza for four months. UNICEF is a key humanitarian partner for Australia. It's working under extremely difficult circumstances to deliver critical support to children who are experiencing some of the worst impacts of this conflict. And since the beginning of the year, more than 11,000 children have been enrolled in UNICEF's treatment of acute malnutrition.

As the Foreign Minister mentioned, today's announcement of new funding takes Australia's contribution to more than $110 million to Gaza and Lebanon since October 7. Now, Australia's support has the potential to make a real difference for thousands of people in Gaza. But we can't ignore the fact that the Israeli Government has imposed severe restrictions on humanitarian aid access to Gaza. The partial lifting of the blocking on aid is vital, but it is still nowhere near enough. There needs to be consistent and unimpeded support to meet the population's most basic needs. And together with our partners, Australia will continue to call on Israel to allow the full, immediate resumption and distribution of aid to Gaza in line with the binding orders of the International Court of Justice. And I'll hand over back to the Foreign Minister.

Foreign Minister: Okay, questions?

Journalist: Just wanting to confirm, I suppose, is it still your assessment that no Australians are impacted by the Air India crash?

Foreign Minister: That was my advice as I was preparing for this press conference, that as yet, we've not had anyone reach out for consular assistance. Obviously, we stand ready to provide support to Australians, as required.

Journalist: Our PM is on his way to Fiji to meet with that country's Prime Minister. What will be discussed?

Foreign Minister: Well, Fiji is a very important partner for Australia in the Pacific and the Prime Minister, Prime Minister Albanese and Prime Minister Rambuka are good friends. I was in Fiji a couple of weeks after the election as part of my initial visit in this second term to the Pacific. We really are grateful for the friendship and partnership that we have with Fiji. Obviously, we understand that we need to continue to work to be a partner of choice in the Pacific. And why do we have to do that? It's about Australian security. It's about the stability of the region. It's about assuring the prosperity of all peoples of the region.

Journalist: Would he be better placed travelling to Washington and meeting with that country's President? Has that meeting been locked in yet?

Foreign Minister: Well, he is travelling to the United States, including to Seattle and then he is travelling to the G7. And if I can just push back on the sort of implicit proposition you're making. The Pacific matters to Australian security. The Pacific matters to the stability of our region. We're in a permanent contest in the Pacific and the fact that we have senior Ministers in the Government, the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister, Minister Conroy and others engaging with the region demonstrates we understand how this matters to Australian security.

Journalist: Can I ask you both about something that has happened locally in Adelaide? There has been a death in custody. An Indian man became unresponsive while he was being arrested by police two weeks ago. Overnight, he's had his life support switched off, tragically. Can I ask you if and how you think this will damage India-Australia relations?

Foreign Minister: Look, I understand that this is a matter that is being investigated by the South Australian Police and relevant authorities. So, I don't propose to comment on that until that investigation has concluded. More broadly, what I would say to the Indian community here in Australia and the broader Indian community is, you know, this is an investigation that will be done properly and be assured of our friendship certainly with India, but also the importance of the Indian diaspora here in Australia.

Journalist: There was a move in Israel's Parliament overnight that almost brought down the Netanyahu government. Do you feel vindicated for the sanctions against Israel's Ministers, given the domestic opposition to its government?

Foreign Minister: Look, I am not engaging in the domestic politics of Israel. I don't think it is good for international relations to engage in the domestic politics of other countries. And so we don't. We partnered with others, the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand and Norway to sanction two ministers whose extremist settler project or support for that is for the reasons I outlined when I made the announcement, something we're all deeply concerned about.

Journalist: Do you see these sanctions as an act of a friend who's trying to pull Israel back from the brink?

Foreign Minister: Look, we have a long standing friendship with the people of Israel and we want that to continue. And I said that in my - when we announced - but we disagree with the actions of the Netanyahu government, we disagree with the actions of these ministers in relation to the West Bank, and we disagree with the actions of the Netanyahu government in the blockade of aid into Gaza. And that is a principled position to take.

Journalist: Just on the escalating tensions between Israel and Iran, what communication have you had with both governments at the moment?

Foreign Minister: Well, I did speak to the Israeli Ambassador yesterday and I would again say what I said in the opening. I think the international community understands the risk to peace and security from Iran's nuclear program and we urge the parties to prioritise diplomacy and to prioritise dialogue.

Journalist: Can I ask the Minister for Multicultural Relations, the death in custody involving an Indian man, does more need to be done to build trust between migrant communities here and the police?

Minister Anne Aly: Look, I think I'll just reiterate what the Foreign Minister has said with regards to that particular case, that it is an ongoing case and it is being investigated, so it would be unwise to comment on that. In terms of your broader question about trust between people of migrant background and the institutions that govern them, including the police, that's certainly something that contributes to social cohesion and it's certainly something that the Albanese Labor Government is committed to.

Journalist: On the explosions that have been heard in Tehran, is it the Australian Government's assessment that these are Israeli strikes?

Foreign Minister: I'm not in a position to respond to that and I'd refer to my previous comments.

Journalist: Are we contemplating withdrawing any diplomatic personnel from Tehran or from the wider region?

Foreign Minister: You should assume that we take the safety of Australians very seriously - the Australians who work either in the ADF or in our other posts overseas through various agencies. And we will always take the appropriate action on that.

Journalist: So, on the aid for Gaza, how will the $10 million assist if that aid isn't actually able to get into Gaza at the moment?

Minister Anne Aly: Well, that's why we've partnered with the Jordanian organisation that we partnered with - the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordanian Organisation - because they are already operating within Gaza. This medical, this aid to them, that $5 million to them will enable them to continue to provide that aid within Gaza, that urgent medical aid, as well as the food aid that we're providing to UNICEF through that $5 million. But we continue to use our voice, along with others, to call on Israel for the unimpeded access and distribution of aid within Gaza in line with international humanitarian law.

Journalist: Minister Wong, Sorry, just a late one here.

Foreign Minister: You were standing there and I was waiting for you to ask me a question. I kept coming back.

Journalist: Was the Prime Minister hoping to speak with the American President about on the sidelines of the G7?

Foreign Minister: The Prime Minister is a very experienced international negotiator and I certainly won't preempt what he might want or have to say, but obviously this is an important meeting. It's a privilege for Australia to be invited and I know the Prime Minister is looking forward to the opportunity to engage with all of the G7 nations.

Journalist: On the United States, the US says it had no part in these strikes. Is it your assessment that Israel likely timed these strikes deliberately ahead of the sixth round of nuclear talks on Sunday?

Foreign Minister: Look, I'm going to refer to my previous answer on that. I'm not going to get into commentary on that.

Journalist: On AUKUS, is Australia open to any changes to AUKUS if sought by the Trump administration?

Foreign Minister: Well, look, we recognise the enterprise that AUKUS is. It is a multi-decade, multi-government partnership to the benefit of all our countries. And we are all custodians of it. It will be many governments and many, many leaders and many defence ministers and many foreign ministers who will have to make sure this project, this partnership, continues and delivers. But I would make this point; AUKUS delivers benefits to all countries involved in the partnership. And in particular there are many near-term benefits to the United States from AUKUS, including additional maintenance days, additional submarine days in the water as a consequence of Australian involvement and in particular the ability for SRF Rotational Force – West, in Western Australia, which Dr Aly would know about. This provides a capability now and over the next few years for the US that it would not otherwise have had. So, we will continue to emphasise it to all other partner governments, but also to the community, this has a benefit to all three countries.

Journalist: My apologies if you already answered this question, but is Australia going to substantially ramp up funding for maritime surveillance in the Pacific, as reported by Reuters this morning?

Foreign Minister: The maritime domain is an important part of ensuring a stable and secure region in which sovereignty is respected. Why is that? You know, the Blue Pacific, the blue Pacific continent, as the Pacific countries call it, and we think of the great continent of Australia, and we think of our maritime domain around it, for these countries, they have very large maritime zones, but sometimes very small islands. So, making sure that the maritime domain is operated in a way, or used in a way that complies with international law and international norms, that goes to sovereignty. And Australia is a country which will always stand for supporting and acting in accordance with international law. Thanks very much, everybody.