Australia's foreign minister returns from a week-long Middle East visit to criticism of the government's designation of attacks by Hamas, and a call from within her own party to fast-track recognition of a Palestinian state.
Penny Wong has spent the last few days in talks with counterparts in Jordan, Israel, Palestine and finally the United Arab Emirates, where the minister discussed ways to increase humanitarian aid to Gaza and a path to ceasefire.
"We discussed averting regional escalation and supporting a political process that meets Israel's security needs and Palestinian aspirations for statehood," she said on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
"The UAE is a key partner for Australia in the region. We co-operate across a broad range of sectors and Australia welcomes expanding ties, including the commencement of trade agreement negotiations."
