Health Minister Mark Butler has said the collapsing of Middle East ceasefire talks are distressing and disappointing, and has urged the return of negotiations and an end to the conflict.
United States mediators were directed to walk away from ceasefire talks in Qatar hours ago, following an identical move from Israeli negotiators. US special envoy Steve Witkoff blamed Hamas for the latest breakdown in negotiations, and said his team would “now consider alternative options” to secure stability in the region.
Health Minister Mark Butler.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
Speaking on ABC News Breakfast, Butler encouraged all parties to return to the negotiating table with an objective to end the conflict.
“This is, again, distressing, disappointing, the position in Gaza, the fact that hostages remain in place there, the terrible humanitarian position for the people of Gaza itself is just unsustainable,” Butler said.
“The suffering has to end. The hostages have to be returned. Innocent civilians in Gaza have to stop being subject to the conditions that they’re subject to right now.”
Butler refused to be drawn on a question probing if Australia should be doing more to support security and peace in the Middle East, saying it was a “delicate situation”, and reaffirmed his government’s wishes for the conflict to end.
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