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"There is a deep feeling within within the caucus about how right it is to recognise Palestine"
That's Labor backbencher Ed Husic.
"I would much rather that colleagues speak for themselves. I'm speaking on things that I strongly and deeply believe in."
He's calling for Labor to speed up its recognition of a Palestinian state.
He says the Prime Minister is facing increased pressure from the Labor caucus over the issue... urging the PM to capitalise on international momentum.
France has committed to formal recognition at the UN General Assembly in September, with the United Kingdom now threatening to follow suit unless Israel takes substantial steps to end the war.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese spoke with the UK Prime Minister overnight... but he's not matching the stance.
Today he has repeated his intention to eventually recognise Palestinian statehood but only after several preconditions, including the disarmament of Hamas, are met.
"It's not the timeline. It's not what we're looking at. What we're looking at is the circumstances where recognition will advance the objective of the creation of two states."
This morning the Government released a joint statement with 14 countries including Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Slovenia and Spain who already recognise the State of Palestine... highlighting recent comments from the Palestinian Authority which accepted the principal of a demilitarized Palestinian State.
The statement also called on other countries to express willingness or positive consideration to recognise the State of Palestine as a step towards a two state solution.
Greens Senator David Shoebridge is criticising the lack of action.
"This is a near meaningless statement that doesn't seem to take Australia's position one step closer to recognising Palestine. And again, for many people, this is a distraction from the hard work that is needed to be done right now. Every pressure needs to be applied on Israel to end the bombing, end the killing, end the mass starvation of the people of Gaza and statements like this, they will simply get us no further and no closer to that ultimate goal of a free Palestine."
He's calling for the government to match the sanctions imposed on Israel to those currently imposed on Russia - which include broad economic sanctions on the government, and restrictions on trade.
Labor's Ed Husic has also called for the Prime Minister reconsider the sanctions regime.
“I have always said that I believe that we do need to sanction, work with other countries on it."
And the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Counter Terrorism Ben Saul says the government should aim for consistency.
"Australia should be consistent in its sanctioning of countries that seriously violate international law. We've imposed sanctions on Russia for illegally annexing parts of Ukraine and claiming that they belong to Russia, we should do the same for Israel."
But the Prime Minister says no one is calling for sanctions to be imposed.
ALBANESE: "What we haven't done is go for slogans. Frankly. I mean, what, when asked this, which is a sanction that you would like?
RANIA: "It's not what I would like, to start off with. It's what people have been calling for, is sanctions on the broader Israeli government."
ALBANESE: "They don't call for that. That's the point. What we have from some of the campaign that has taken place is slogans, and what we are about is meaningful action, not slogans. You know, this is a real issue. And frankly, you know, just like the people who caused my office once again to be shut down last Friday by throwing balloons full of fish oil and stuff in an office, that means my staff had to abandon it, great cost to the Commonwealth means no constituents can get service, that doesn't advance it. We do not send arms to Israel. We do not. We have sanctioned ministers in a democratic government. In a democratic government. Putin's regime is not a democratic government. It is an authoritarian regime."
Last week, he said Israel was clearly breaching international law by restricting food deliveries.
Today, he's warning Israel's actions are hurting its place on the international stage.
"Israel increasingly is seeing people express their their opposition to those actions, people who are friends of Israel have to be able to say what you are doing is losing support. And that is what is happening."
The Executive Council of Australian Jewry supports a gradual approach.
"I don't think Australia will join the push of France and the UK. I think that is because the Prime Minister is sensibly saying that we need to see a stable government in control of the Palestinian areas before we can recognize a Palestinian state."
Israel denies that there is famine in Gaza, with Israel's Deputy Chief of Mission reiterating the claim earlier this week.
Mr Albanese yesterday saying the claim was 'beyond comprehension'.
A government source has told SBS News that senior Israeli diplomats were summoned to the Department of Foreign Affairs, for Australia's position to be made clear to them in person.
Liberal Leader Sussan Ley yesterday said she was distressed by the images from the ground in Gaza, but would not directly answer if she thought there was starvation in Gaza, or if Israel was to blame.
Liberal Senator James Paterson told the ABC it's clear what is happening in Gaza.
"Well, there's very clear evidence of people suffering in Gaza. The images are very clear. Hamas are weaponising and taking advantage of that. I think there's no question of that, but there's very clear there's real suffering occurring."
Shadow Defence Minister Angus Taylor is urging recognition to come at the end of a peace process.
"Well we're worried he's putting the cart before the horse. We need a peace agreement, we need to see the hostages released, we need to see Hamas dismantled. Hamas cannot be part of a Palestinian state."
e to recognise Palestinian state
