Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the Australian Government have made statements on the explosion at a hospital in Gaza overnight that killed at least 500 Palestinian civilians – the biggest single loss of life there since 2007. But after days of tension in parliament and in the community over the government’s stance on the violence unfolding in Israeli-occupied Palestine, his comments have been called out as weak.Palestinian militant group Hamas and Palestinian health officials said an Israeli airstrike hit a hospital in Gaza on Tuesday, killing hundreds, potentially more than a 1000, including many children. The Israeli Defence Force blamed a failed Palestinian rocket for the strike. Evidence so far is inconclusive.Footage from Gaza shown by Al Jazeera showed the building engulfed by fire and surrounded by bodies and debris. The Israeli government declared war on Hamas 11 days ago following its surprise attack on Israel and has since imposed a “total siege” on Gaza, the coastal enclave home to more than 2 million Palestinians, meaning they have cut electricity, medical supplies, food and even water to Gaza and so far an estimated 3000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli airstrikes on the territory. Today, Albanese told reporters in Canberra that “the scenes from the explosion at a Gaza City hospital are deeply distressing and it is clear that there has been a devastating loss of life”. “Every innocent life matters, that's whether it is Israeli or Palestinian,” he said.“We condemn any indiscriminate attacks and targeting of civilian infrastructure, including hospitals.“Australia joins with others in calling for international law to always be upheld.”Penny Wong, the leader of the senate and the minister for foreign affairs, put out an almost identical statement and said “our thoughts are with those killed, those injured and their loved ones.”Until today, Albanese has repeatedly condemned the actions of Hamas with pretty strong language. Two days ago, he moved a motion and urged the parliament to stand with Israel and denounce antisemitism, and said “The evil committed by Hamas in Israel has chilled every Australian heart. This was no act of war against the army of an enemy. It was the slaughter of innocent people. It was an act of terror.”He called the initial attacks “calculated, pitiless brutality” and emphasised that Israel had a right to defend itself against Hamas, which he attempted to distinguish as the enemy of both Israel and the Palestinian people. But Labor’s response to the war has caused a lot of tension in parliament. The Opposition says Albanese’s response to Pro-Palestinian rallies, which were infiltrated by a handful of racist antisemetics chanting slurs, has been soft.Meanwhile, Greens leader Adam Bandt said this afternoon: “Labor must do more than condemn the bombing of the hospital, they must oppose the invasion of Gaza that led to it.”Human rights activists and Palestine supporters have also pointed out the difference between Albanese’s statement today and statements he made nine years ago during another war in the region. Back then, he broke Labor Party ranks to call Israel’s “collective punishment” of Gaza “completely unacceptable”. But his comments today didn’t go as far.Correction: this story has been updated to reflect the inconclusive nature of who was responsible for the blast.See more from Australia Today on vice.com and on TikTok.Aleksandra Bliszczyk is the Deputy Editor of VICE Australia. Follow her on Instagram.
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