Wong condemns innocent deaths in Israel operations

Senator Wong reiterated Australia had been calling for a ceasefire for eight months.

"Australia condemns the unacceptable deaths of innocent civilians as a result of Israel's operations in this last week, including many near schools," she wrote on social media platform X.

"This must stop.

"Civilians, including women and children, are caught in the middle. They must be protected."

Senator Wong urged Israel and Hamas to agree to a US-led, United Nations Security Council-backed ceasefire proposal.

Israeli hostages needed to be released and humanitarian access increased, she said.

The condemnation came as Oxfam Australia accused Israel of using water "as a weapon of war", saying supply to Gaza had been cut by 94 per cent.

Israel had cut external water supplies and destroyed water facilities on top of deliberation obstruction aid, the organisation's Water War Crimes report found.

Gazans have access to just under five litres a day, which is less than a third of the recommended minimum for emergencies and less than a toilet flush, it said.

A United Nations inquiry found both Israel and Hamas have been responsible for war crimes after the designated terrorist organisation killed 1200 Israelis and took some 250 hostages during an attack on October 7, according to Israeli tallies.

Hamas' taking of hostages, murder and inhuman treatment of civilians was a war crime, it found.

The "immense" scale of killings in Gaza constituted a crime against humanity and the use of starvation by failing to supply essentials such as food, water, shelter and medicine was also a war crime, the inquiry also found.

Australia branded the report "gravely concerning".

Israel has denied it is deliberately targeting civilians and accused the UN-backed inquiry of being biased against it.

Israel's counter-offensive in Gaza has since killed more than 38,000 people, the Hamas-run local health ministry says.

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Australian Associated Press