Australia supports the creation of a sustainable ceasefire in the Gaza Strip but Hamas must give up its weapons, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said in a joint statement with his counterparts from New Zealand and Canada.
"We are alarmed at the diminishing safe space for civilians in Gaza," the statement released on Wednesday said.
"The price of defeating Hamas cannot be the continuous suffering of all Palestinian civilians."
Anthony Albanese, New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Luxon and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also said any ceasefire "cannot be one-sided".
"Hamas must release all hostages, stop using Palestinian civilians as human shields and lay down its arms," they said.
The three leaders condemned "Hamas' unacceptable treatment of hostages" and called for the immediate and unconditional release of the captives.
The Australian and Canadian governments both consider Hamas a terrorist organisation while New Zealand authorities have designated the entity's military wing a terrorist group.
The joint statement condemned Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7 and the "heinous acts of violence perpetrated in those attacks, including sexual violence", after militants killed 1200 people and took more than 200 hostages.
The three governments recognised Israel's right to defend itself.
There was also "no role for Hamas in the future governance of Gaza", the leaders said while opposing "the forcible displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, the re-occupation of Gaza, any reduction in territory and any use of siege or blockade" and backed a two-state solution.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong is expected to visit Israel and other countries in the Middle East in January.
The 193-member United Nations General Assembly has voted to demand an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the conflict after the United States vetoed such a move in the Security Council.
On Thursday Australia joined 152 other countries in the UN vote demanding an immediate ceasefire, as well as the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. Australia voted FOR the motion. The total results were 153 for, 10 against and 23 abstaining.
You can read the joint statement from the three Prime Ministers below:
Australia, Canada, and New Zealand mourn every Israeli and Palestinian innocent life which has been lost in this conflict and express our condolences to all families and communities affected by the violence.
We unequivocally condemn Hamas' terror attacks on Israel on October 7, the appalling loss of life, and the heinous acts of violence perpetrated in those attacks, including sexual violence. We condemn Hamas' unacceptable treatment of hostages and call for the immediate and unconditional release of all remaining hostages.
We recognise Israel's right to exist and right to defend itself. In defending itself, Israel must respect international humanitarian law. Civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected. We are alarmed at the diminishing safe space for civilians in Gaza. The price of defeating Hamas cannot be the continuous suffering of all Palestinian civilians.
We remain deeply concerned by the scale of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and ongoing risks to all Palestinian civilians. Safe and unimpeded humanitarian access must be increased and sustained.
The recent pause in hostilities allowed for the release of more than 100 hostages and supported an increase in humanitarian access to affected civilians. We acknowledge the persistent diplomatic efforts of the United States, Qatar, and Egypt to broker this pause, and we regret it could not be extended.
We want to see this pause resumed and support urgent international efforts towards a sustainable ceasefire. This cannot be one-sided. Hamas must release all hostages, stop using Palestinian civilians as human shields, and lay down its arms.
There is no role for Hamas in the future governance of Gaza.
We support Palestinians' right to self-determination. We oppose the forcible displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, the re-occupation of Gaza, any reduction in territory, and any use of siege or blockade. We emphasise that Gaza must no longer be used as a platform for terrorism. We reaffirm that settlements are illegal under international law. Settlements and settler violence are serious obstacles to a negotiated two-state solution.
We recommit ourselves to working with partners toward a just and enduring peace in the form of a two-state solution, where Israelis and Palestinians can live securely within internationally recognised borders.
We remain concerned about the impact of the conflict spilling across the region and urge all governments in the region to work towards containing the conflict. We call on the Houthis to cease immediately their attacks on international shipping and crew operating in the Red Sea.
We condemn rising antisemitism, Islamophobia, and anti-Arab sentiment in our countries and around the world and remain firmly committed to combatting prejudice, hatred, and violent extremism.
With AAP.
Image: Getty.