Live UpdateFrom the Liveblog of Friday, July 26, 2024
Australia, Canada, New Zealand issue joint call for hostage deal, Gaza ceasefire
The leaders of Australia, New Zealand and Canada issue a joint statement calling for an “immediate ceasefire” in Gaza.
The three reiterate their support for the Israel-approved proposed hostage release and ceasefire deal presented by US President Joe Biden at the end of May, and urge “all involved actors to exercise restraint and deescalate” after months of war between Israel and the Hamas terror group.
“Civilians must be protected, and a sustained increase in the flow of assistance throughout Gaza is needed to address the humanitarian situation,” the statement reads.
The leaders add that they “remain unequivocal in our condemnation of Hamas.”
