PENNY WONG: A two-state solution is the only way the conflict can be solved

A durable peace means Hamas must be dismantled and Israel must end the settlements in the occupied territories.

With pain so real and so raw on both sides, I understand why calls for peace can be hard to hear.

Some 1,400 Israelis were killed by Hamas on 7 October, the biggest loss of Jewish life on any day since the Holocaust. We condemn these terrorist attacks unequivocally: they cannot and should not be justified. And with more than 200 people still held captive, we call for Hamas to immediately and unconditionally release all hostages.

In Israel’s response to those attacks, thousands of Palestinians have been killed, including more than 3,500 children, as reported by Unicef. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens by the day.

Food, water, medicine, fuel and other essential assistance must reach people in desperate need, and civilians must be able to get to safety. This is why so many countries, like Australia, have been calling for humanitarian pauses on hostilities as a necessary first step.

In affirming Israel’s right to defend itself, Israel’s friends – including Australia – have consistently emphasised that the way it does so matters. We know it is extremely difficult to defeat a craven terrorist group that has burrowed itself in civilian infrastructure, using civilians as a shield.

Like Australia, Israel is a democratic nation state, pledged to the rule of law. The standards democracies seek and accept are high. That means Israel must observe international law and the rules of war.

So when Israel’s friends urge Israel to exercise restraint and protect civilian lives, it is critical that Israel listens. It matters for innocent civilians, who should not pay for horrors perpetrated by Hamas. And it matters for Israel’s own security, which faces grave risk if conflict spreads. The international community will not accept ongoing civilian deaths.

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PENNY WONG: A two-state solution is the only way that the Israel-Palestine conflict can be solved (Guardian)
Clamour is growing for a durable peace – but that means Hamas must be dismantled and Israel must end the settlements in the occupied territories