Australia says it will deny entry to extremist Israelis

SYDNEY: Australia has renewed its call on Israel to accept the UN Security Council's ceasefire resolution in Gaza. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Tuesday in a post on X that there is an "urgent" need for a ceasefire in Gaza. She added that she is concerned about the escalation of violence in the West Bank and the "provocative" actions of far-right Israeli ministers. Wong explained that this situation has also weakened the possibility of achieving lasting peace. She stated that her country's government will not grant travel visas to Australia to Israeli settlers who seize Palestinian lands. "Ongoing illegal settlement activity and settler violence undermines the prospects of a just and enduring peace," she said. "Australia has imposed sanctions on Israeli extremists and will deny anyone identified as an extremist settler a visa to travel to Australia." Since October 7, 2023, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza that has left about 136,000 dead and wounded, most of them childr en and women, and more than 10,000 missing, amid massive destruction and deadly famine. Source: Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA