Australia called for "humanitarian pauses on hostilities" in Gaza to allow supplies to get in and for civilians to get to safety, a statement from the country's Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Wednesday. "We call for humanitarian pauses on hostilities, so food, water, medicine and other essential assistance can reach people in desperate need, and so civilians can get to safety," Wong said in a statement posted on her official X account, formerly Twitter. Acknowledging that there's been limited access to aid for Gaza residents in recent days, Wong said it was "nowhere near enough." Her comments come as the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) warned Tuesday that only eight of the 20 aid trucks that were originally scheduled to arrive that day had entered Gaza through the Rafah crossing. Wong added that "innocent Palestinian civilians should not suffer because of the outrages perpetrated by Hamas," while also saying that "the way Israel exercises its right to defend itself matters... to civilians throughout the region." Wong also said that "Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people," and she added it "undermines the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people." Wong called for protecting civilian lives, saying the "humanitarian situation in Gaza is dire and human suffering is widespread." Her statement comes as Canberra moved to deploy more personnel and send an Australian air force aircraft to the region. The Australian government is deploying more personnel and aircraft to the Middle East region as part of "Operation Beech," the country's Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles said. Marles told CNN Affiliate Nine News Australia on Wednesday that the government sent an additional two military aircraft to the region, making a total of three. "The deployment of Australian aircraft and supporting defense personnel is a precautionary measure to support whole of Australian Government contingency options due to the risk of the security situation deteriorating further," Marles said on X, formerly known as Twitter Wednesday. The military aircraft will be accompanied by "a significant number of personnel" to support their delivery and a "small command detachment," Nine News reported. He added that the Australian forces are not there for operational reasons but as a "contingency" to support Australians in the region. He also described that the situation in the region is "challenging and rapidly evolving," adding that Australians who wish to leave are encouraged to take the first commercial option available to them. — CNN
