On 24 August, tens of thousands of protesters filled streets in major Australian cities, rallying in support of Palestinians, condemning Israel’s actions in Gaza, and urging Canberra to take a stronger stance on the escalating crisis.
The demonstrations built on momentum from 3 August, when one of Australia’s largest political marches crossed the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Since then, diplomatic relations between Australia and Israel have sharply deteriorated, marked by cancelled visas, fiery exchanges, and accusations of Israeli interference in domestic politics following Iran’s ambassador’s expulsion.
Despite the diplomatic fallout, protesters’ demands have remained consistent: sanctions on Israel and an end to the arms trade that links Australian-made components to Israeli Defense Forces weaponry.
Meanwhile, the International Association of Genocide Scholars declared this week that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza under the UN definition, citing systematic attacks on healthcare, aid, and education, and the reported deaths or injuries of 50,000 children. Israel rejected the findings, dismissing them as “Hamas lies.”
The declaration came as the IDF pressed forward with a large-scale assault on Gaza City, defying growing international condemnation, even as a UN-backed hunger monitor confirmed famine conditions in the territory.
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