Violence in the Middle East could become “far more savage” as tensions fester and grow, the prime minister warns.
The conflict in Gaza is threatening to spill into neighbouring nations after Tel Aviv claimed Lebanese armed group Hezbollah launched a rocket strike that killed 12 teenagers and children in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
Hezbollah has denied responsibility for Saturday’s attack but that has not prevented an Israeli response.
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Israel Defence Forces on Monday launched a drone strike on Lebanon, killing two people and wounding three more.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said tensions in the region were at “great risk” of escalation.
“We saw that with tragic consequences for those Israeli citizens who lost their life over the weekend, we continue to see a loss of life in Gaza,” he told Sky News on Monday.
“(Hezbollah) represent a risk of a far more savage conflict occurring with consequences for Israel, for Lebanon, for the Middle East and for world peace.
“We want to see hostilities cease, we want to see the hostages released, we want to see a pathway toward peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians in the region.”
In a move that could strengthen bonds between Tel Aviv and Canberra, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton will land in Israel for a three-day trip on Monday.
He is expected to meet members of its government and those affected by the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel, which killed 1200 people and led more than 200 to be taken hostage, according to Israeli authorities.
“The connections between Australia and Israel are deep and abiding,” Mr Dutton said in a statement.
“It’s a relationship which will only grow stronger, built around our devotion to democracy in a world where our values and way of life faces old and new threats.”
In the nine months since the Hamas attack, Israel has launched a bombing campaign and ground offensive in Gaza that has killed nearly 40,000 Palestinians, according to the local health ministry.Almost 90 per cent of Gazans, about 1.9 million people, have been displaced while 495,000 are facing catastrophic levels of food insecurity.
– With Reuters
