Hon Anthony Albanese, MP Senator the Hon Penny Wong
Prime Minister of Australia Minister for Foreign Affairs
Dear Mr Albanese and Senator Wong
We are writing in solidarity with our colleagues in Friends of the Earth Palestine (Pengon) to call for the Australian government to take stronger action to stop the genocide being carried out by the Israeli government against the Palestinian people.
The Israeli army has targeted Pengon’s projects and offices inside Gaza and Pengon has lost many of its members, some of whom were targeted while being displaced.[1] The situation in the West Bank is also dire. Pengon has been fighting to save the Palestinian environment and support the people against the attacks of the settlers and the Israeli army, but they need the support of the international community.
We join with Friends of the Earth Asia Pacific in calling on the Australian government to do everything in its power “to put pressure on the Israeli Occupation to bring an immediate end to the siege of the West Bank and the ongoing blockade of Gaza, which is creating widespread starvation and preventing life-saving aid, including food and medical supplies, from reaching a desperate population.”[2]
Furthermore, we call on the Australian government to join the South African government’s case against Israel in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and to also join the Hague Group. We request that you implement the following undertakings listed in the Hague Group’s inaugural joint statement (31 January 2025)[3]:
- Uphold the UN Resolution A/RES/Es-10/24 and, in the case of States Parties, support the requests of the International Criminal Court and comply with our obligations under the Rome Statute, with regards to the warrants issued on 21 November 2024; and implement the provisional measures of the International Court of Justice, issued on 26 January, 28 March, and 24 May 2024.
- Prevent provision or transfer of arms, munitions and related equipment to Israel, in all cases where there is a clear risk that such arms and related items might be used to commit or facilitate violations of humanitarian law, international human rights law, or the prohibition on genocide, in compliance with our international obligations and consistent with the International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion of 19 July 2024 and the UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/Es-10/24.
- Prevent the docking of vessels at any port, if applicable, within our territorial jurisdiction, in all cases where there is a clear risk of the vessel being used to carry military fuel and weaponry to Israel, which might be used to commit or facilitate violations of humanitarian law, of international human rights law, and of the prohibition on genocide in Palestine, in keeping with states’ peremptory legal obligation to cooperate towards preventing genocide and other violations of peremptory norms by all legal measures at their disposal.
In its 19 July 2024 advisory opinion the ICJ found that Israel’s ongoing presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is unlawful. Earlier, in its 26 January 2024 order, the ICJ found that there was a plausible case that Israel was committing genocide. Since then, Israel’s actions in Gaza have become more and more barbaric. Not satisfied with killing well over 50,000 Palestinian civilians, it is now deliberately starving those who have survived until now. Amongst such massive human devastation, we hear little about the environmental destruction, but our colleagues at Pengon inform us that it is enormous. That should not be surprising to anyone who has seen the TV footage of Gaza.
It is past time for Australia to take strong action. Joining the Hague Group and South Africa’s case in the ICJ would be important first steps.
Philip White
On behalf of Friends of the Earth Adelaide
4 July 2025
[1] https://bsky.app/profile/friends-earth.bsky.social/post/3lq5n4uitak2a
[2] https://foeasiapacific.org/2025/06/20/lift-the-siege-on-the-west-bank-and-end-the-genocide-in-gaza/