Palestine

Ms HOOD (Adelaide) (15:24): The 15^th of May every year commemorates Nakba Day. The Nakba, which means 'catastrophe' in Arabic, refers to the mass displacement and dispossession of Palestinians during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. The Nakba was a violent process in which Zionist militias captured more than 78 per cent of historic Palestine, destroyed an estimated 530 villages and cities and saw an estimated 15,000 Palestinians killed, including dozens of massacres. This Nakba Day, we reflect on the ongoing suffering of Palestinians today.

I am of course referring to Israel's ongoing invasion of Gaza, which has killed more than 35,000 people, with the majority of those identified being women and children. It has injured more than 78,000 people and left approximately 10,000 missing and trapped beneath the rubble. Eighty-five per cent of the Palestinian population, more than 1.9 million civilians, are now internally displaced as a result of the invasion of Gaza. That is more than the entire population of South Australia.

I echo the federal government's calls for unrestricted access of aid into Gaza, the return of all Palestinian and Israeli hostages and an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. As our foreign minister has said, Australia has long advocated for a two-state solution to deliver lasting peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians.

I am humbled to have a story that was sent to my office from a local Palestinian resident in our community called Dean. I am advised that Dean is a healthcare worker and has many friends in Gaza who are also healthcare workers. The following story, I understand, was relayed to protesters in January on the steps of our state parliament. This is an account of what was relayed.

Every day, Dean would contact his friend Wissam, an anaesthetist, to ask how the situation in Gaza was. Wissam would tell Dean: 'To say what is happening in Gaza is ridiculous would be an understatement. It is so much worse than the videos and photos on Instagram. We are delivering babies in refugee camps on the ground with no sterile equipment, increasing the risk of infection for the mum and baby. So far, five mothers have died from infection. Cancer patients have no medications, and children are having limbs amputated with no painkillers.'

Dean asked Wissam's 12-year-old daughter, Farah, if he could pass on a message on her behalf during the next rally. Showing her maturity, she wanted to thank everyone for showing up and speaking out and said she would never forgive anyone who stayed silent and did not speak up for basic human rights. Dean delivered this message to protesters. Once the applause for Farah's message dissipated, Dean informed the crowd that just that morning, on Sunday 21 January 2024, Farah and Wissam had been killed by an air strike.

Wissam and Farah are not just numbers: they were people, with lives, hobbies, hopes and dreams. They had loved ones, like Dean, whose hearts are eternally broken. As a former journalist, I also want to pay tribute to all the incredible reporters on the ground in Gaza, who selflessly risk their lives to document what is happening and to raise awareness. Since October, it has been reported that almost 100 journalists have been killed by air strikes, rockets and gunfire. To those journalists who sacrifice their lives and to those who remain on the ground, thank you for preserving the integrity of journalism, facilitating truth-telling and doing what you can to protect humanity.

On Sunday, we celebrated Mother's Day. I am so incredibly grateful to have two beautiful healthy children who shower me with love every day. I cannot imagine the heartbreak of mothers in Palestine who have lost their children or the devastation of the children who have lost their mothers. The mums of Palestine love their children as much as I love Audrey and Ned. Children in Palestine love their mums as much as Audrey and Ned love me.

On Mother's Day, we got up early, and my children and I walked along the banks of the River Torrens; children in Gaza walk amongst rubble. My children spent the day squealing with laughter on the trampoline, while children in Gaza scream in pain on hospital floors and in refugee camps. When I cuddle my babies to sleep, mothers of Gaza cuddle their babies for the last time. Every human deserves to live, to have access to critical aid and to have babies who are allowed to grow up. Every human regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender or religion deserves to be free.