Foreign Minister Penny Wong has also been asked about the UN vote to see Palestine elevated to full membership.
The draft resolution would call on the UN Security Council to reconsider elevating Palestine from a non-member observer state to full UN membership.
Wong told the ABC’s RN Breakfast this morning that they would consider the final resolution before voting it.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong.Credit: Simon Schluter
“Obviously, Australia has long supported a two-state solution that is a Palestinian state alongside the State of Israel,” she said.
She said the majority of the Security Council had previously supported Palestinian admission, but that was vetoed by the United States.
“We will consider the final resolution that comes before the General Assembly obviously countries are still negotiating text is changing,” she said.
Wong said the text had changed overnight, and there was a lot of discussion about the meaning and wording of the resolution.
The minister said Australia was also focused on the situation on the ground in Gaza and Israel.
“We want a humanitarian ceasefire, we want the release of hostages, we [want an] increase in humanitarian aid, and obviously we will be speaking to our friends and partners internationally because we want to try and work with others,” Wong said.
She was also questioned on whether Australia was leading towards abstaining from the vote, and what that would mean.
“I don’t want to speculate about it and I think an abstention genuinely means you can agree in part with the resolution, but … not with all of it,” Wong said.
Source Agencies
