Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong plans to travel to The Middle East and has raised concerns after she announced she will reportedly not be visiting the Oct. 7 massacre sites. The mass murders committed by Hamas militants resulted in more than 1,200 Israelis dead and hostages captured. The Shadow Immigration Minister, Dan Tehan, urged her to take time to visit these locations to better understand how the recent events have impacted Israelis. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese defended Ms. Wong and stated that her itinerary is entirely her decision.
Wong is planning to meet officials and hostages’ families in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories while also taking the time to discuss humanitarian aid and civilian protection strategies. She will also be using her time in Jordan to work on enhancing coordination efforts to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and discuss international efforts to re-start a political process that would lead to a future Palestinian state. Wong is also planning to discuss economic partnerships with the United Arab Emirates and work with defense personnel to address unrest in Sudan. As part of the continued efforts to advocate for the two-state solution to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, she will be reinforcing Australia’s commitment to working towards a just and enduring peace in the region.