Israel's attacks on Gaza 'completely indefensible': Australian premier

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called reports of aid seekers in the Gaza Strip being killed while waiting for food and water "completely indefensible," the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported Saturday.

"And I certainly have said to, for example, (Israeli) President (Isaac) Herzog, who I've known for a long period of time, that Israel is losing support by its own actions, and that some of its actions are completely indefensible," Albanese told ABC, when asked about if Israel's global station had changed.

"And the other thing that we've done is to say in private, what we say publicly as well, which is that Israel, and we say this as a friend, sometimes you gotta be straight and upfront," he said.

The Australian prime minister reiterated support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Australia is "a long-term supporter" of Israel, he said, but "it's important to remember that two states were envisaged and Australia, and certainly my government, has continued to support two states in the Middle East: the State of Israel and the State of Palestine.

"The globe has to play a role in it, and obviously, the role of the United States will be central to that," he said about the possibility of achieving a two-state solution.

Albanese also noted his recent China visit and said Canberra's position was made "very clear" on Ukraine to the Chinese leadership.

Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, killing nearly 59,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children. The relentless bombardment has destroyed the enclave and led to food shortages and a spread of disease.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.