{"id":4349,"date":"2025-06-13T16:35:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-13T06:35:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/maainternational.org.au\/?p=4349"},"modified":"2025-07-21T16:40:47","modified_gmt":"2025-07-21T06:40:47","slug":"joint-statement-let-gaza-live-aid-is-not-a-bargaining-chip-australia-must-join-the-diplomatic-humanitarian-convoy-to-gaza","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/maainternational.org.au\/joint-statement-let-gaza-live-aid-is-not-a-bargaining-chip-australia-must-join-the-diplomatic-humanitarian-convoy-to-gaza\/","title":{"rendered":"Joint Statement: Let Gaza Live: Aid is Not a Bargaining Chip \u2014 Australia Must Join the Diplomatic Humanitarian Convoy to Gaza"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>We, the undersigned Australian civil society and community organisations, call on the Australian Government to publicly commit to joining a diplomatic humanitarian convoy to accompany aid trucks into Gaza via the Rafah Crossing and Let Gaza Live.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/maainternational.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/JOINT-STATEMENT_-Let-Gaza-Live_-Aid-is-Not-a-Bargaining-Chip-\u2014-Australia-Must-Join-the-Diplomatic-Humanitarian-Convoy-to-Gaza-1-1.pdf\">Download the statement<\/a> or read the full statement below<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We, the undersigned Australian civil society and community organisations, call on the Australian Government to publicly commit to joining a diplomatic humanitarian convoy to accompany aid trucks into Gaza via the Rafah Crossing and Let Gaza Live.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The decision by Israeli authorities to temporarily allow limited humanitarian aid into Gaza is not a breakthrough \u2014 it is a damning admission that the deliberate starvation of civilians has never been a logistical failure, but a political weapon.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For months, the Israeli government has blocked the entry of food, medicine, water, and fuel into Gaza, manufacturing a crisis of mass hunger and human suffering in full view of the international community. This week\u2019s announcement \u2014 that some aid trucks may be permitted to enter over a narrow five-day window \u2014 is not a shift in policy, but a public relations exercise designed to deflect from the ongoing siege and growing international pressure.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is not aid. This is coercion. Humanitarian assistance must never be conditional on forced displacement, military vetting, or the political aims of occupying powers. To continue participating in or legitimising such frameworks is to become complicit in collective punishment and ethnic cleansing.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We echo the unified call from Palestinian civil society organisations, joined by humanitarian and human rights organisations worldwide, for the urgent launch of a diplomatic humanitarian convoy, to accompany the aid trucks already waiting at the Rafah Crossing. Aid must flow <strong>unconditionally<\/strong>, <strong>immediately<\/strong>, and across <strong>all of Gaza<\/strong>, including the North, where needs are catastrophic, in line with humanitarian principles and international law \u2014 not Israeli military control.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In light of mounting evidence of war crimes and the weaponisation of aid, we call on the Australian Government to urgently impose <strong>targeted sanctions <\/strong>on&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Israeli officials responsible for grave violations of international law \u2014 Words of concern are no longer enough.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We also call on the Australian Government to:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Support the call for an <strong>end for the illegal blockade and illegal siege <\/strong>on Gaza;&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Comply with its third state obligations<\/strong>, including its obligations under the Genocide Convention and the provisional orders and Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice;&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Publicly support the <strong>ICC investigations <\/strong>into crimes committed in illegally occupied Palestinian territory;&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Take steps to ensure Australia is <strong>not complicit <\/strong>through arms transfers, surveillance technologies, or dual-use exports.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This moment demands courage. Inaction will lead to mass death by starvation, enable further grave violations, and undermine the international legal system. We are calling on you today to: Let Gaza Live. End the Starvation. End the Siege. Open the Crossings. Join the Diplomatic Humanitarian Convoy.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>SIGNATORIES&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Initial Signatories:&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Australian Centre for International Justice (ACIJ)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>MAA International&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Amnesty International Australia&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>ActionAid Australia&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Australia Palestine Advocacy Network (APAN)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Union Aid Abroad &#8211; APHEDA&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Islamic Relief Australia&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Democracy In Colour&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Palestinian Australian New Zealand Medical Association (PANZMA)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Additional Signatories:&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Australian Muslim Advocacy Network (AMAN)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Arab Australian Federation&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Arab Council Australia&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Arab Theatre Studio, on Dharug Country&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Asylum Seeker Resource Centre&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bass Coast 4 Palestine&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Blue Mountains Peace Collective&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Canberra Palestinian Community CPC&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Canberra Palestine and Climate Justice&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Celebrate Palestine South West&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Christians for Peace Newcastle&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Free Palestine Melbourne&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Friends of the Eart Australia&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hunar Symposia&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Independent and Peaceful Australia Network&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Italian Federation of Migrant Workers and their families, FILEF.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jewish Council of Australia&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jews Against the Occupation &#8217;48&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jubilee Australia Research Centre&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just Peace Qld&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Loud Jew Collective&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marrickville Peace Group&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Medical Association for Prevention of War&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>National Zakat Foundation&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Northern Beaches Committee for Palestine&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Palestine Israel Ecumenical Network (PIEN)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Palestinian Workers Union&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Quakers Australia&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Queensland Quakers&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Spirit of Eureka &#8211; South Australia&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>United Australian Palestinian Workers&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>we are the mainstream.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We, the undersigned Australian civil society and community organisations, call on the Australian Government to publicly commit to joining a diplomatic humanitarian convoy to accompany aid trucks into Gaza via the Rafah Crossing and Let Gaza Live. Download the statement or read the full statement below We, the undersigned Australian civil society and community organisations, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4351,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[133],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4349","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-advocacy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/maainternational.org.au\/CMSWebParts\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4349","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/maainternational.org.au\/CMSWebParts\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/maainternational.org.au\/CMSWebParts\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maainternational.org.au\/CMSWebParts\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maainternational.org.au\/CMSWebParts\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4349"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/maainternational.org.au\/CMSWebParts\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4349\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maainternational.org.au\/CMSWebParts\/wp\/v2\/media\/4351"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/maainternational.org.au\/CMSWebParts\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4349"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maainternational.org.au\/CMSWebParts\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4349"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maainternational.org.au\/CMSWebParts\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4349"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}