ELLEN RANSLEY: Bullish Albanese sharpens his tongue on Gaza rhetoric

Two days before Anthony Albanese used his strongest language to date to condemn Israel’s “outrageous” ongoing blockade, newly relegated backbencher Ed Husic had agitated for Labor to take a tougher stand.

The former industry minister, who was bumped to the backbench in this month’s factional blood letting - attributable in part, he says, to his stance on Gaza - penned an opinion piece.

In it, he called for Australia to join the United Kingdom, France and Canada and threaten sanctions unless the Netanyahu Government rapidly de-escalate the worsening crisis.

For two-and-a-half months, Israel has prevented food, medicine and fuel from entering the besieged strip, worsening the humanitarian crisis and pushing the population towards famine. As Israel intensified its air campaign, it last week allowed 107 trucks in, which the United Nations warned was a “teaspoon of aid when a flood of assistance is required”.

The deteriorating conditions last week prompted the UK, Canada and France to threaten a “concrete” response unless Israel de-escalate. At home, an emboldened Mr Husic called for Australia to “proudly join them”.

“Now is the time to act. The UN has warned 14,000 babies suffering from severe acute malnutrition are at risk of dying, on top of the tens of thousands of women and children already murdered during this conflict,” he wrote in an opinion piece for The Guardian.

Since October 7, Foreign Minister Penny Wong has overtime ramped up her own language, sparking backlash from the Opposition and Jewish groups. But with world leaders such as Britain’s PM Keir Starmer taking a stronger stand, and with the election behind him, Mr Albanese has sharpened his tongue.

On Monday, he declared he had made it clear to Israeli President Isaac Herzog on the sidelines of Pope Leo XIV’s inauguration in Rome last week that “Australia finds these actions completely unacceptable”.

“People are starving. The idea that a democratic state withholds supply is an outrage, that is my clear position,” he said in some of his strongest language since October 7.

He said the Netanyahu Government’s justifications for its actions were “completely untenable and without credibility”.

“States, which are democratic states, have a responsibility to behave in a way that is consistent with international law and with humanitarian concerns, and the whole world is concerned about what has occurred with the blockade and Australia will continue to make clear statements on that,” he said.

Australian emergency physician Mohammed Mustafa said language “will not save those children’s lives”.

“We need action, not language, now,” he told ABC News..

Mr Albanese said he hadn’t spoken to the UK or Canada about taking concrete action against Israel, such as sanctions.

Mr Albanese said that was a statement by members of the G7, and that Australia, through Foreign Minister Penny Wong, had co-signed a separate statement with 22 other countries.

Mr Husic on the weekend said the “powerful stand” of the UK, Canada and France had “blazingly overshadowed a more subsidiary statement signed by 23 other countries – including our own – calling for a more fulsome reinstatement of humanitarian aid”.

“Notably, only one statement last week threatened to take ‘further concrete actions in response’, and it wasn’t the one we signed up to,” he wrote.

“From now on we should signal we will unashamedly stand with friends and allies like the UK, France and Canada, not just condemning the Netanyahu Government’s attacks on the innocent of Gaza – but preparing right now to extend targeted sanctions against those individuals directing a brutal campaign against Palestinians in Gaza, one that has staggeringly and repeatedly defied international humanitarian law.”

The new-look Labor cabinet met for the first time since the election on Monday, where Gaza was understood to be on the agenda.

Dr Mustafa said Australia should contribute to a “coordinated humanitarian response”.

“If we keep trying the same thing, it will not work,” he said.

“Things are moving in a positive direction, but I still want there to be actions and not words.

“The Prime Minister campaigned on compassion and kindness, and I think this is the moment in history to show that to those people in Gaza. I think this really will be a career-defining moment for not just this government, but governments around the world.”