As Australians deeply concerned for human life and justice, we call on the Australian Government to take urgent, concrete steps to help stop what legal experts, human rights bodies and countless civilians have identified as acts of genocide in Gaza.

I am an Australian nurse, veteran, mother, neurodivergent advocate, and a trained Gender Focal Point, with expertise in how conflict and displacement disproportionately harm women and children. In Gaza, over 70% of those killed are women and children, with deliberate attacks on homes, schools and hospitals. This is a grave breach of the Geneva Conventions, which specifically protect civilians and prohibit targeting infrastructure essential to their survival.

Under the 1948 Genocide Convention — to which Australia is a signatory — we have a clear obligation to prevent genocide and protect civilian populations.

We therefore call on the Australian Government to take action. Here is the exact wording for the Senate Petition:

To the Honourable the President and Members of the Senate in Parliament assembled

The petition of the undersigned shows:

1. That Australians are deeply concerned about the ongoing conflict in Gaza, which has killed thousands of civilians, the majority of whom are women and children. There have been deliberate attacks on homes, schools, hospitals and essential infrastructure, in grave breach of the Geneva Conventions, which protect civilians and prohibit targeting the means of survival. Australia is a signatory to the 1948 Genocide Convention, which obliges us to prevent genocide and protect civilian populations. Legal experts, human rights bodies, and the international community have raised serious concerns that acts of genocide are occurring. Continued arms exports and defence cooperation risk making Australia complicit.

Your petitioners therefore request that the Senate call on the Australian Government to:

1. Demand an immediate, permanent ceasefire in Gaza through diplomatic channels and United Nations votes.
   Suspend all arms exports, permits, and military cooperation with Israel that may contribute to violations of international law, including exports of dual-use defence components.
2. Increase humanitarian aid, medical evacuation programs, and fast-track visas for injured or vulnerable Palestinian civilians, especially women and children.
3. Support independent international investigations into alleged war crimes and ensure accountability for perpetrators.
4. Recognise the State of Palestine, in line with over 130 other nations, to ensure diplomatic standing and pathways to long-term sovereignty and safety.
5. Provide direct funding to reputable NGOs and trauma services to address catastrophic health and mental health needs, particularly for women and children who bear the greatest burden of this conflict.

This is not just a foreign policy issue — it is a matter of basic human decency, and of Australia living up to our international legal and moral responsibilities.