As a dedicated community service that advocates for women, non-binary people, and their children who have often been impacted by violence, war, colonisation, and displacement, we are making this statement to stand in solidarity with Palestinian people. We unequivocally condemn the ongoing genocide and call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, and an end to the occupation in Gaza.
As an intersectional, feminist organisation, we recognise that our safety is interdependent – none of us are safe, until all of us are safe. When women and children are unsafe, when the lives of women and children are devalued, it’s always an issue that requires action. We resolutely condemn all forms of bigotry, including Islamophobia and anti-Semitism. As a non-faith-based service, we make this statement as one of human rights.
At the time of making this statement, at least 39,561 people, including more than 15,000 children, have been killed and more than 89,727 injured in the war on Gaza since October 7. The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) estimates just 65,000 people remain in Rafah, where more than one million Palestinians had been seeking shelter before fleeing the Israeli military’s advance. The continued violence has resulted in immeasurable loss of life, widespread suffering, and the destruction of homes and communities.
In a recent historic ruling, marking the first time the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has delivered a position on the legality of the 57-year occupation, the ICJ ruled that Israel’s continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory is unlawful. The ICJ has ordered Israel to “immediately halt its military offensive, and any other action in the Rafah Governorate, which may inflict on the Palestinian group in Gaza conditions of life that could bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part”. This comes after the ICJ issued six emergency orders to Israel in January including:
- Israel must take all possible measures to prevent acts as outlined in Article 2 of the 1948 Genocide Convention. This entails not killing members of a particular group, not causing physical or psychological harm to members of that group, not inflicting living conditions which are calculated to bring about the end of the existence of a people, and not carrying out actions designed to prevent births within that group of people.
- Israel must ensure its military does not carry out any of the above actions.
- Israel must prevent and punish the “direct and public incitement to commit genocide in relation to members of the Palestinian group in the Gaza Strip”.
- Israel must ensure the delivery of basic services and essential humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza.
- Israel must prevent the destruction of evidence of war crimes in Gaza and allow fact-finding missions access.
- Israel must submit a report on all steps it has taken to abide by the measures imposed by the court within one month of the judgement.
We urge the Australian government to do everything within its power to ensure these measures are implemented and take urgent steps to prevent ongoing international crimes including stopping military exports to Israel. In addition, we join leading international NGOs Amnesty International, World Health Organisation (WHO), Oxfam, Plan International, Save the Children, and UNICEF who are demanding a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
Given Australia’s colonial roots, we recognize our duty to identify and resist settler colonial projects to prevent further dispossession of Indigenous Peoples. We want to acknowledge the time it has taken us to speak up, and we hope that by doing so now we are sending a message to the rest of the social and community services sector that it is not too late to take a stand. It is only through collective action and a shared commitment that we can hope to end the cycle of violence and build a future where all Palestinians can live in safety and dignity.
