Yesterday the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory found that Israeli authorities and security forces have deliberately targeted Palestinian children, resulting in genocide and atrocity crimes in the Gaza Strip and war crimes in the West Bank. The same commission last year reported that Israel had committed genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, finding that Israeli authorities and Israeli security forces committed four of the five genocidal acts defined by the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
RIMPAC is the world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise, coordinated by the United States. In addition to cooperating with Israel in military exercises, Australia continues to supply parts for the F-35 stealth fighter-bomber, which Israel has used in its bombardment of the Gaza Strip.
Michelle Higelin, Executive Director at ActionAid Australia, said:
“Australia should not be participating in war games with a country that has committed genocide. For more than two years now, we have been calling on the Australian Government to end all military cooperation with the Israeli Government, which has found to be committing genocide in Gaza by two UN inquiries. Australia must take every action possible to prevent further harm to the Palestinian people, and ensure we are not complicit in Israel’s war crimes and other breaches of international law.”
ActionAid Australia has called on the Australian Government to:
- Immediately suspend all military aid, assistance, and cooperation with Israel, including through military training exercises like RIMPAC.
- Continue to call for an immediate, permanent, and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza.
- Take urgent action to ensure that Israel acts in accordance with international humanitarian law, using all diplomatic means available, and ensure perpetrators of war crimes and other violations of international law are held to account.
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Spokespeople are available for interviews. Please contact:
Stephanie Wulf, Senior Communications Manager, ActionAid Australia
+61 (0)456 952 836