Australia will strengthen its objections to the Israeli government’s planned settlement expansion and is “gravely concerned” by activities that hinder the prospect of peace in the region.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong responded to questions during a caucus briefing for Labor MPs on Tuesday about planned Israeli government settlements in the West Bank.
The Israeli government’s plan to construct thousands of new buildings in the occupied West Bank has faced objections from around the world.
Most countries deem the settlements, built on land captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war, illegal.
Their presence is one of the fundamental issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Senator Wong said the Australian government was seeking to strengthen its objection to the settlements by affirming they are illegal under international law and a significant obstacle to peace.
“This is consistent with a position of past governments (and) reflects legal advice and United Nations Security Council resolutions, which determined that the settlements have no legal validity and constitute a violation of international law,” she told the Senate.
The minister also said she would be returning Australia to the position of previous governments of referring to “Palestinian occupied territories”.