Extract from ABC News
The international community is "epically failing" in its response to the Israel-Gaza war as innocent civilians continue to die, the UN special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories has told the National Press Club in Canberra.
Key points:
- Francesca Albanese has taken aim at the global response to the Israel-Gaza war
- She says the death toll and number of injured people will continue to rise
- Her address follows a speech from the Israeli ambassador to the Press Club last month
In her address, human rights lawyer Francesca Albanese also criticised governments, including Australia's, for having "amnesia", "myopia" and "living in an alternative reality" when asked about its response to the war, as the death toll from the conflict surpasses 12,000 people.
"The international community is almost completely paralysed [and] I am being generous when I say almost," she said.
"The UN [is] experiencing its most epic political and humanitarian failure since its creation.
"Individual member states, especially in the West – and Australia is no exception – are on the margins, muttering inaudible words of condemnation … or staying silent in fear of restraining Israel's self-proclaimed right to self-defence – whatever it means."
She said under international law, Israel had the right to protect itself, but not the right to wage a war.
Ms Albanese's address follows Israeli ambassador to Australia Amir Maimon addressing the National Press Club last month.
At the time, he said his country was the victim, not the aggressor.
"We were attacked. Our people were slaughtered. We did not ask for this war," he said.
"We are the victims and it is important to remember it while expressing your concerns about the humanitarian situation, about the Palestinians and civilian casualties."
Health ministry lost capacity to count deaths
Ms Albanese also used her address to highlight the number of Palestinians and Israelis killed since October 7.
She said since Israel's "unrelenting" bombing of the Gaza strip, more than 11,000 Palestinians have been killed, including 4,500 children, while another 1,200 Israelis died in Hamas' terrorist attack on October 7.
Ms Albanese said the death toll in Gaza would also rise.
"Let me be very frank, we do not know when we will know the others who have been killed after yesterday because the Ministry of Health does not have the capacity to count the deaths anymore," she said.
Ms Albanese also pointed to the 30,000 Palestinians and 5,000 Israelis who have been injured in the conflict, while also highlighting that 1.5 million people in Gaza had been displaced.
"Two thousand, seven hundred Palestinians as we speak are still under rubble, gasping for air in need of rescue, medical attention or burial," she said.
"That will not come. They will likely perish as there are no means to rescue them.
"My predecessors and now myself have said the West Bank, the Gaza strip and East Jerusalem are becoming a powder keg. It will explode. It has exploded."
Ms Albanese also reminded the audience that the Gaza population was incredibly young, with half under the age of 18.
Media lack empathy for Palestinians
Ms Albanese also took aim at the international media's coverage of the war, calling on journalists to avoid dehumanising Palestinians.
"You have a great deal of homework to do in this respect," she said.
"In international media there is a tendency to talk of Palestinian deaths as a tragedy while Israeli deaths as crimes.
"There is a lot of empathy and solidarity that goes to the Israelis when they are a victims of violence, and rightly so … but then this is lacking on the side of the Palestinians."
Ms Albanese also warned against using the term 'Israel-Gaza war' because Gaza is not a stand-alone entity, but rather part of the occupied territories.
She told the National Press Club she had tried to meet with Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong, but she was too busy. However, government officials have since confirmed the assistant foreign minister will meet with her.
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