Nessa Cosgrove (Labour)

I, too, commend my colleague Senator Stephenson on bringing this forward.

I wish to speak about healthcare workers and read out the names of just five nurses who have been killed: Omar Khorsheed, Mohammed Lubbad, Mohammed Al Azzaiza, Ahmed Moshtaha and Somaya Temeraz. We have all said that the people of Gaza are at very risk of extermination. The UN said two hours ago that 14,000 babies, which was referenced earlier, are going to die of starvation in the next 48 hours. Other Senators have stated that we as a country have been victims of state enabled famine and colonial mass murder. We know more than anyone else about the trauma that has been inflicted on us as a people for generations. I do not believe that this is an Opposition-Government issue. All of the Government parties know their history just as well as I do. We have all said that we cannot just sit back and watch it anymore. The Israeli regime is sticking their two fingers up to us at every turn. They are committing war crimes. They are committing genocide. It has even been called out now by the UN that it is genocide.

I hosted a briefing last Tuesday with healthcare workers. Healthcare workers and the symbols of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement have always been symbols of humanity. They are there under the Geneva Conventions as protection of life. They have been targeted. A total of 1,400 healthcare workers have been deliberately killed. Surgeons have been pulled away from operating theatres in the middle of conducting operations. They have said to me that in trying to restore humanity back into the conversation we as a country can do six things. We can enact the occupied territories Bill. We can implement ethical procurement policies across Departments and State bodies. We can stop arms transitioning through Ireland, which we know is happening. There are debates on it but we know it is happening. We can stop the Central Bank selling Israeli war bonds. We can join the Hague Group of nations and say that no nation is above the law. We can boycott, divest and sanction at every opportunity, including culture and academia. Israel needs to be isolated and it needs to be isolated now.