Health Minister Mark Butler says the Australian government is in contact with Israeli authorities about the Australian detainees being held by Israel after being removed from the flotilla that was attempting to deliver aid to civilians in war-ravaged Gaza.
“We’ve put in a formal request to the Israeli authorities now to have clear information about how many Australians have been detained, and obviously to have consular access to those Australians as well,” Butler said on Seven’s Sunrise this morning.
“We have provided clear advice, I have to say, for Australians not to take part in these attempts to break the naval blockade, because of obvious safety risks that are involved here.
“I get that Australians want to see aid flow, particularly basic aid like food and medicines, to civilians in Gaza but for those who are detained, of course we will be providing consular support to them.”
Australians Juliet Lamont and Hamish Paterson on board the flotilla boat Wahoo.Credit: Facebook
Appearing alongside Butler was Liberal senator Jane Hume, who encouraged Australians who might be concerned about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza to “go through [aid] organisations that are fit for purpose to help”.
“Putting yourselves in danger, getting on a flotilla of boats, putting yourself in a war zone partly run by a terrorist organisation, is not the wisest course of action and is something that we would recommend against vociferously.”
The United Nations reported in August that 88 per cent of aid trucks in the period between May and August this year had been blocked from entering Gaza.
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