Julie Bishop’s department has closely monitored the deaths of Palestinians at the hands of Israeli forces during protests in Gaza in the last month, even predicting causalities before they occurred, while the government has, until today, maintained a public silence on the escalating violence.
Diplomatic cables, obtained by Crikey under freedom of information laws, reveal that the Tel Aviv embassy briefed Canberra last month about the killing of dozens of Palestinian protesters at the Israel-Gaza border while anticipating further causalities.
The correspondence released by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade shows that diplomats warned that more deaths were likely during upcoming demonstrations on April 6 after “Israeli countermeasures” had previously killed 20 Palestinian protesters on March 30.
Since March 30, some 100 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli Defence Force personnel who’ve used live ammunition against the “March of Return” demonstrations, which have demanded the right of return for refugees displaced during the establishment of Israel.
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During the bloodiest round of protests yet on Monday, 58 Palestinian were killed and another 770 were injured, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
It prompted a press release from Julie Bishop’s office describing deep regret and sadness over the “loss of life” and called on Israel to be proportionate in its response.
But the statement comes six weeks into the border conflict, and is weak in contrast with Israeli allies such as Egypt who have condemned Israel for deadly use of force.
“Protests will be concentrated in several locations along the Gaza-Israel border with smaller and sporadic demonstrations also expected to take place in Jerusalem and the West Bank,” said the diplomatic briefing, which was sent hours before Israeli Defence Force personnel shot dead 10 Palestinians and injured at least 1000 others during demonstrations on April 6. “With large numbers expected along the Gaza-Israel border tomorrow, further escalation and casualties can be expected.”
The briefing also noted that various Israeli allies other than Australia had publicly voiced their concern about the violence. UK, France and Germany had expressed “serious concern and called for the proportionate use of force and respect for the right to protest,” the correspondence said, while the US and Canada had “expressed sadness at the violence and urged parties to lower tension and show restraint.”
Greens Leader Dr Richard Di Natale last month called on the government to “break its silence” on the issue, blasting Israel’s actions as “clearly disproportionate and very likely illegal”.
Other sections of the briefing titled “The first casualty — the battle for the narrative” and “Comment” were redacted before the document’s release to Crikey on the grounds their release would harm agency operations or divulge personal information.
When asked by Crikey why it had not issued any public statements on the situation in Gaza in April, DFAT indicated that it had privately raised the issue with the main parities involved.
“Australian officials have raised concerns about the situation on the Gaza perimeter directly with representatives of both Israel and the Palestinian Authority,” a DFAT spokesperson said.
Rights groups including Human Rights Watch have condemned Israel’s actions, while the UN Secretary General and the European Union have called for an independent investigation into the deaths.
Tel Aviv says it has only fired on protesters who’ve attempted to damage or breach the border fence dividing the territories and those killed include known Hamas operatives. Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman, responding to the controversy last month, dismissed calls for an inquiry into the killings, insisting the soldiers involved “did what had to be done” and “deserve a commendation”.
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It is not illegal for Israeli defence forces to kill Palestinians, it is the Israeli Defence Force, it is what they do. Seriously though, the insult delivered by Trump opening the embassy process on the day of the Naqba and sending Kushner, whose father specialises in West Bank colony building!
It ought to be illegal, given that they’re killing unarmed civilians exercising what should be a democratic right.
It’s not illegal? Are you seriously suggesting the Israelis are defending themselves? There are some comments here from people whose only knowledge about the Palestinian/Israeli conflict comes from the bites they hear or read in the very pro-Israeli Australian news media. They seriously need to do some personal research.
Colin Rubenstein was a regular visitor to Downer’s office when he was FM and I have no doubt the relationship has continued with Bishop. How much do the Palestinians contribute to the Liberal Party’s coffers do you suppose?
After the demise of the Boer Republic of South Africa, Israel is the last ultra-racist blot remaining on the face of the earth.
… Saudi Arabia? Racism plus, for extra points, religious bigotry.
Unfortunately, its tentacles are everywhere.
Surabaya, anyone?
Also Saudi’s reliance on foreign slaves, they just don’t call it that.
So Israel is a racist blot, but Hamas calling for death to all Jews is okay?
Death to all Jews? Do you have an actual quote for that or did you just make it up?
They will call for the death of those who illegally stole their land and slaughtered their brethren… I’d say that was fair, wouldn’t you?
Do you support Israel bombing hospitals and ambulances? Is that OK in your eyes?
It never happened, Zeke. It’s just another myth created by Zionist propagandists.
Israel, Jew & zionist are not synonyms, no matter how hard Bibi & the hasbara wish it.
More and more, younger idealistic American Jews are being driven away from support of Israel by the ever increasing cruelties imposed on the captive Palestinians. That will affect US support for Israel eventually although there will still be support from the more extreme Christian groups.
I see Rubenstein was ‘given’ column inches in Fairfax yesterday in order to attempt to defend the indefensible
Indeed, but all our media in Australia are Zionist, it’s a fucking disgrace.
Bishop and her government are even more gutless on this issue than they are on Cambodia. The fear of offending the Israeli-lobby here in Australia and upsetting Trump are the over-riding factors in the formulation of their policy on situations which, at the very least, demand some sort of public condemnation – but it will not be gotten out of this excuse for a government that claims doe regard for human rights
“Secret cables reveal Bishop likely knew Gaza conflict would escalate”
Please. Blind Freddie knew the Gaza conflict would escalate around the time of the opening of the new US embassy. It wasn’t a secret.
The Palestinians and their leadership have never wanted peace.
Israel is just giving them what they want in spades.
What a load of complete & utter garbage, Bobby. Insert Israel or Zionist & you’d be on to something. Even before the Brits left, the Jewish Extremists were conducting random acts of violence against the Palestinian people. Then, in spite of being given the lions’ share of Palestine, the Zionists launched massive surprise attacks on villages within both the Jewish & Arab mandate. They murdered thousands of people, & drove hundreds of thousands into exile. Israel used the Six Day War (which they helped to provoke) as a pretext to invade & occupy Gaza & West Bank. They invaded Southern Lebanon & helped the Phalange to massacre thousands of Palestinian refugees in the Sabra & Shatila camps. In spite of Palestinians working increasingly hard to meet their obligations under the former Oslo Accords, Israel has violated every one of their agreements, by expanding the number & size of Jewish settlements on the West Bank, in violation of international law. They have routinely restricted access to water by the Palestinians & Palestinians are treated like prisoners within their own land, & as 3rd class citizens within Israel proper. Tell me how much you’d want peace after that kind of treatment?
Either way, Bobby, your comment just exposes your utter ignorance & your blind acceptance of Zionist propaganda.
Yes, the Palestinians always yearned to be expelled from their towns and villages and farms and cooped up in refugee camps while foreigners mostly from Europe and America expunged all traces of their millennia-long presence there. And you can see how they don’t want peace by the way their tanks and troops are everywhere throughout Israel preventing innocent Israelis from moving about freely. And if they wanted peace they wouldn’t be seizing Israeli land and putting illegal settlements on it would they? And their planes wouldn’t be bombing so-called Stern Gang and Irgun terrorist bases in the middle of tightly crammed Israeli cities if they wanted peace. No way.
Any day now the US is going to give Texas and New Mexico back to Mexico. Lol. Delusion runs strong in the far left.
Losers don’t get to dictate the terms of peace.
“Might is right”, eh? I suppose you accept being robbed in the street as being fair, eh?
The bombing of hospitals and ambulances in Gaza? ppppft… they deserve it, do they?
Last I checked, Bobby, America never offered to give back Texas or New Mexico to Mexico as part of a Peace Deal, so how is your comment remotely relevant? Oh, that’s right, irrelevant non-sequitors run strong in the Far Right, as does hatred, ignorance & bigotry. The fact is that Israel agreed not to expand settlements within The West Bank, under the terms of the Oslo Accords, yet has actually expanded them at a faster rate during that time period, proving that the Israeli government have been dishonest, violent, backstabbing thieves for close to 25 years now. Also, your reference to losers does confirm that Israel are the clear aggressors in this scenario, thus neatly undermining your initial comment.
Thank you Rais for your response to Bobby. You left out the fact that the Palestinian Council publicly acknowledged the state of Israel as a fact of life in 1988 and have since reiterated that position in 1993, agreeing to form a State in Gaza and the West Bank. Israel has made it very clear they want all the land between the River Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea, in other words all of Palestine. Bobby you need to listen to some real Jews speaking out against what is happening in Palestine instead of just accepting everything out media and the Zionists say. Do some research for heaven’s sake.
The Far Right don’t do research, that requires critical thinking & reading skills.
There is no Gaza “clash.” There are unarmed human beings demonstrating and there are cowards shooting them dead. What is terrorism if this isn’t?
On RN Drive, IDF spokesflak told PK that there had been live fire from Gaza and fiery speeches about “tearing out their hearts… or something similar“.
So withering sniper fire is entirely justified.