To the Honourable Members of the Australian Parliament,

We, the undersigned citizens and residents of Australia, call upon the Australian Government to urgently uphold its legal, moral, and humanitarian obligations by enacting a national emergency response to evacuate, resettle, and provide humanitarian support to Palestinian civilians facing genocide, ethnic cleansing, famine, and war crimes in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories.

Legal Basis for Immediate Action

Australia is a signatory to multiple binding international treaties that create an obligation to protect vulnerable populations, prevent genocide, and support refugees. These include:

The Genocide Convention (1948) – which obligates all signatories to prevent and punish acts of genocide, including by taking proactive diplomatic and humanitarian measures.
The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) – under which Australia must not be complicit in or passive to crimes against humanity and genocide, and must support international accountability.
The 1951 Refugee Convention and 1967 Protocol – which require Australia to provide protection and non-refoulement to those fleeing persecution and mass atrocities.
Customary International Law and the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) – obligating Australia to protect populations from mass atrocity crimes when their own government is the perpetrator or fails to act.

Context of the Crisis

Over 75,000 Palestinians, including tens of thousands of children, have been killed since October 2023, with international legal experts, UN rapporteurs, and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) raising serious concerns of ongoing genocide.
Famine, displacement, and the destruction of all civil infrastructure have rendered Gaza uninhabitable.
Australia continues to provide millions of dollars in military and diplomatic support to Israel, contributing to civilian harm and violating principles of neutrality, proportionality, and accountability.

We Demand the Australian Government to:

Declare a National Humanitarian Emergency Response for Palestinian civilians and commit to resettling at least 50,000 refugees through:

An expanded Special Humanitarian Program (SHP).
Full financial coverage of resettlement costs, including visas, housing, and medical treatment.
Emergency airlifts and evacuations coordinated with international partners and humanitarian corridors.

Cease all military and financial cooperation with the State of Israel until all acts of genocide, collective punishment, and violations of international humanitarian law have ceased.
Reallocate a minimum of $500 million in federal funds to:

Assist with immediate Palestinian refugee evacuation and resettlement.
Support diaspora families in Australia wishing to sponsor loved ones.
Rebuild medical, housing, and community support structures for Palestinian Australians impacted by trauma.

Support ICC and ICJ investigations into war crimes and genocide in Gaza, and comply with international legal proceedings without obstruction.

Why It Matters

Australia was built on the legacy of settler colonialism. Our national commitment to justice, peace, and human rights must include active solidarity with colonised and displaced peoples. We cannot remain complicit in a genocide unfolding in real time. We have the resources. We have the laws. We must act.

We call on you, as elected leaders, to act decisively, lawfully, and humanely.

The world is watching. Your people are watching. History will remember.