Middle East conflict
Sarah MANSFIELD (Western Victoria) (09:51): Last week I attended an event where Palestinian health workers shared stories about what their friends, families and health colleagues are experiencing in Gaza. Their stories were harrowing. They echoed the reports that we hear daily from health workers in Gaza, heroes who are risking their lives to continue to provide care in the most dire of circumstances imaginable: tens of thousands of innocent civilians being killed and traumatically injured without access to health facilities because these have been bombed, raided, disconnected from electricity and water and lack basic supplies. Who could possibly be unaffected by the idea of people, including children, having to undergo surgery without anaesthetic? Many thousands lack shelter, warmth, food and clean water, which is driving even more to sickness and death. Only a small number of Palestinians have managed to escape from Gaza, and some have been allowed to seek refuge in Australia. A small number of them are in Victoria, where they have found safety. However, we are aware that they have limited access to basic material aid like food and medicine. We are fortunate here. We can offer that, and I would urge the state government to heed the calls of local community organisations and provide these refugees with the material support that they and countless others are unable to access at home.