Australians with Middle East ties face trauma as conflict escalates

Australians with ties to Israel, Palestine, and Lebanon are experiencing trauma due to ongoing violence in the Middle East. The conflict has intensified since the October 7 Hamas attack, which resulted in significant casualties and hostages, alongside Israel's military response.

Australia has called for a ceasefire at the United Nations, but misinformation has led to confusion about its role in the conflict. The government emphasizes that it is not involved in the fighting and has committed over $90 million in humanitarian aid to support affected civilians.

Australia is working with international partners to uphold humanitarian laws and provide aid. The government supports Palestinian aspirations for statehood and aims to build global coalitions to address the conflict, recognizing that unilateral actions are ineffective.