Australia pledges additional $20 million for Gaza
The Australian government today announced an additional $20 million in humanitarian aid for Gaza, bringing its total contribution to over $130 million since October 7, 2023.
This new funding is earmarked for critical supplies, including food and medical provisions for field hospitals, specifically targeting women and children in the besieged Strip.
The $20 million package will be distributed among key international partners: $6 million to the UN World Food Programme for food supplies, $5 million to UNICEF for children's nutritional support, $5 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross for essential needs and healthcare, $2 million for relief support with the UK, and $2 million to the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization for field hospitals.
The commitment comes as the humanitarian situation in Gaza is described as a "catastrophe," with widespread starvation, severe malnutrition, and a rising death toll, including 93 children, due to hunger-related causes.
Aid delivery remains severely hampered by chaos and obstruction, with UN agencies reporting that much of the aid entering Gaza does not reach distribution warehouses due to “Israeli” military restrictions and internal lawlessness.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong reiterated Australia's firm diplomatic stance, calling on “Israel” for a "full and immediate resumption of aid to Gaza" in line with International Court of Justice orders, stating that "The suffering and starvation of civilians in Gaza must end".
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has also asserted that “Israel” has "clearly" breached international law by impeding food entry.
This latest aid pledge and Australia's increasingly assertive diplomatic language follow significant domestic pressure, including large-scale anti-war protests across major cities on the same day as the announcement. Public opinion surveys in May 2025 indicated that 82% of Australians viewed “Israel's” blockade of Gaza as "unjustified".
International aid organizations, including Oxfam, have dismissed recent “Israeli” measures to facilitate aid as "theatrics, token gestures dressed up as progress," emphasizing that airdrops are "insufficient" and a ceasefire is essential for safe delivery.
