Good afternoon. The Australian government will recognise a Palestinian state at the United Nations general assembly next month, Anthony Albanese has confirmed, saying a two-state solution was “humanity’s best hope to break the cycle of violence in the Middle East and to bring an end to the conflict, suffering and starvation in Gaza.”
In a written statement, Albanese and Penny Wong claimed Benjamin Netanyahu’s government was “extinguishing the prospect of a two-state solution” in threatening to occupy Gaza and expand West Bank settlements. Albanese said he spoke to Netanyahu last week and told him “the situation in Gaza has gone beyond the world’s worst fears”, citing an unacceptable civilian death toll.
