Australia condemns Israel's 'inhumane killing' in Gaza

Australia has decried Israel's "drip feeding of aid and inhumane killing" of civilians in Gaza as pro-Palestine protesters rally in the nation's capital on the first day of parliament.

A joint statement signed by Foreign Minister Penny Wong and more than 20 of her global counterparts - barring the US - calls for an immediate end to Israel's violence in the strip and condemns the denial of humanitarian assistance to starving Palestinians.

It also calls for the Israeli government to immediately lift restrictions on aid to allow humanitarian groups to do their work.

"The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths," the joint statement said.

"We condemn the drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their most basic needs of water and food.

"Israel must comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law."

The amount of food allowed into Gaza is just a fraction of what's required to adequately nourish the population.

Israel's control over aid has left more than 500,000 people starving, according to the United Nations World Food Programme.

"Gaza's hunger crisis has reached new levels of desperation," it posted on X.

In recent months, more than 800 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid - including those shot by the Israeli military - according to the country signatories of the joint statement.

On Sunday Israel killed at least 67 Palestinians in northern Gaza while they were waiting for UN aid trucks.

The joint statement comes as pro-Palestine supporters rally in Australia's capital on Tuesday for the first sitting day of parliament since the May federal election.

The group will call on the government to sanction Israel and "end its support and complicity in genocide".

Inside Parliament House, Greens Senator David Shoebridge will table a petition signed by more than 2500 Australian healthcare workers calling on the government to take action and end Israel's violence, blockade and weaponisation of aid in Gaza.

"Every signature on this letter is a voice refusing to be silent in the face of this genocide," petition organiser and pharmacist Yossra Abouelfadl said.

"We cannot stand by while our colleagues in Gaza are killed, hospitals are targeted and patients are denied basic medical care.

"Enough words, enough statements, it's time for action."

The violence erupted after the designated terrorist group Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing more than 1200 people and taking 251 hostages.

The Israeli government's blockade and military offensive has killed more than 58,000 Palestinians and displaced more than 737,000 between March and July, according to Gazan health authorities.

Opposition frontbencher Jonathon Duniam said Israel had a "right to self defence" and said Australia signing the joint statement was not the right approach.

"There is more to this issue than this letter portrays and I think it is a sad turn of events for our government to have joined with other countries in signing this letter," he told Sky News.

"It's unacceptable that a conflict continues, but again, this conflict probably would come to an end if Hamas released the hostages."

While some of the hostages have been released, others have died and about 50 are believed to still be in captivity - although Israel believes about half of those are dead.

Israel has rejected the joint statement and claimed it is "disconnected from reality".

"The statement fails to focus the pressure on Hamas and fails to recognise Hamas's role and responsibility for the situation," Israel foreign affairs spokesperson Oren Marmorstein said in a statement.

The statement also condemns the continued detention of hostages and notes that a negotiated ceasefire "offers the best hope of bringing them home".