Middle East conflict
Katie HALL (Footscray) (11:07): When I was writing this members statement, I thought very carefully about the importance of the words I chose. Words are all we have when we feel completely helpless. The word ‘conflict’ might have been appropriate at a point in time in Israel and Gaza, but I feel like it diminishes the acts of terrorism, the acts of war, the humanitarian crisis and the devastating loss of innocent civilians. Every 5 minutes a child is dying in Gaza. To care about this and to be outraged and agonised by this is not to mean that you are not horrified by the killing of innocent people and children by terrorists in Israel. These are not mutually exclusive feelings. The horror of 7 October by terrorist organisation Hamas, which is to be condemned, has been followed by more unimaginable and unacceptable bloodshed. The children of Gaza are children. They are not Hamas. The children of Gaza need a ceasefire now. Cutting off water, food, medicine and communications is inhumane and international law must be abided by. Our tolerant, multifaith and multicultural Victoria is something to aspire to globally. It is our strength. We must protect and nurture our common humanity and call for peace.