Australian news and politics live: Netanyahu speaks after Hamas, Israel sign off on Trump’s Gaza peace deal.
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Key Events
BREAKING: Israel, Hamas both sign peace deal
US President Donald Trump has confirmed Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the “first phase” of his Gaza peace deal.
“I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan,” he wrote on Truth Social.
“This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace.
“All Parties will be treated fairly!
“This is a GREAT Day for the Arab and Muslim World, Israel, all surrounding Nations, and the United States of America, and we thank the mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, who worked with us to make this Historic and Unprecedented Event happen. BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!”
White House: ‘ALL hostages to be released very soon’
The White House has released a video after the announcement by US President Donald Trump that Israel and Hamas have agreed to a peace plan.
“Today President Trump has done it,” said Moshe Lavi, the brother-in-law of Israeli hostage Omri Miran.
“He announced just now that our loved ones, the hostages are coming home.”
Ley: ‘Australia should have stood with US’ after Gaza peace plan agreement
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has released a statement after Hamas and Israel agreed to peace plan.
“The announcement by the President of the United States that Israel and Hamas have agreed to implement the first phase of a US-brokered peace plan should inspire hope in Australia and across the world,” she said.
“All fair-minded Australians will welcome this announcement. We must remain hopeful today’s announcement will be borne out over the coming days.
“The Coalition has supported the US-brokered peace plan from its announcement, and we have stood with Israel and the United States through this conflict.
“Such an outcome is why the Australian Government should always have stood with our closest ally the United States.
“Today marks a hopeful first step toward the release of hostages held for over two years, the end of this war, and the beginning of enduring peace.”
Israeli PM thanks Trump after agreeing to peace plan
Benjamin Netanyahu has released another statement after Hamas and Israel signed off on the first phase of US President Donald Trump’s peace plan.
In a translated statement on X, the Israeli Prime Minister said:
“A great day for Israel. Tomorrow I will convene the government to approve the agreement and bring all our dear hostages home.”
“I thank the heroic soldiers of the IDF and all the security forces, thanks to whose courage and sacrifice we have reached this day.
“I thank from the depths of my heart President Trump and his team for their mobilization for this sacred mission of releasing our hostages. With the help of the Almighty, together we will continue to achieve all our goals and expand peace with our neighbors.”
Is Australia’s region ‘dangerous’ or just ‘challenging’?
Senior Australian Defence officials have been quizzed in Senate estimates about why they describe the strategic environment in the Indo-Pacific as “challenging” rather than dangerous.
Coalition frontbencher Michaelia Cash has asked Deputy Defence Secretary Hugh Jeffery whether the department agrees with ally New Zealand that the Indo Pacific environment is facing “the most dangerous environment since World War Two”?
“I think we use ‘challenging’, which is the word, the most challenging strategic environment since World War Two but I wouldn’t quibble with the word dangerous as opposed to challenging,” Mr Jeffrey responded.
Senator Cash then asked the Defence Department Secretary Greg Moriarty whether he agreed with the New Zealand’s government’s use of the word “dangerous” in strategy documents.
“They’ll frame things their own way Senator, and I think we’re very broadly comfortable that we and New Zealand have some very common strategic perceptions,” Mr Moriarty responded.
Netanyahu releases statement after peace deal agreement
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has released a statement after US President Donald Trump announced that Hamas and Israel have agreed to the first phase of his peace plan.
“With God’s help we will bring them all home,” Mr Netanyahu wrote on social media.
Court bans Sydney Opera House Gaza protest; warns of ‘extreme’ danger
NSW’s top court ruled pro-Palestinian protestors cannot stage a march to the Sydney Opera House on Sunday because the safety risk of tens of thousands of people gathering on the iconic building’s forecourt is too great.
“The public safety risk to protestors and other members of the public is extreme,” Court of Appeal judge Stephen Free said Thursday morning.
“The risk to public safety is so significant that it would be irresponsible to allow the event to proceed.”
BREAKING: Israel, Hamas both sign peace deal
US President Donald Trump has confirmed Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the “first phase” of his Gaza peace deal.
“I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan,” he wrote on Truth Social.
“This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace.
“All Parties will be treated fairly!
“This is a GREAT Day for the Arab and Muslim World, Israel, all surrounding Nations, and the United States of America, and we thank the mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, who worked with us to make this Historic and Unprecedented Event happen. BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!”
Pro-Palestine rally blocked from going ahead this weekend.
The NSW Court of Appeal has issued a prohibition order against Sunday’s pro-Palestine protest at the Sydney Opera House.
The declaration was made Thursday morning by Chief Justice Andrew Bell, Common Law Chief Judge Ian Harrison, and Justice Stephen Free, with full reasons to be released later.
This opens the possibility of arrests if organisers refuse or fail to redirect activists.
More to come.
Sydney Opera House pro-Palestine protest in question
Thousands of protesters will discover whether they can rally at an iconic Australian landmark as a trio of judges rule on the legality of a pro-Palestine demonstration.
Police have challenged the Palestine Action Group’s proposed protest in the NSW Court of Appeal.
Organisers believe Sunday’s march, if approved, will see around 40,000 people wind through Sydney’s city centre to the forecourt of the Sydney Opera House, according to organisers.
That number is why police believe it is inappropriate.
The judges, who are due to deliver a decision on Thursday, have also raised concerns over crowd safety during earlier hearings.
Ley: Pro-Palestine rally ‘certainly immoral’
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has expressed hope that the NSW Supreme Court will rule a pro-Palestine protest scheduled for Sunday at the Opera House unlawful.
The decision is expected at 9.30am.
“Maybe it’ll be illegal – I hope it is, but it’s certainly immoral that this is proposed on the anniversary of those dreadful, terrorist inspired events in southern Israel,” she told Sunrise on Thursday morning.
“We all want the war to end, we want to see peace in the Middle East. There’s a US brokered peace deal on the table.
“Everyone with passion and concern should be focusing their efforts on supporting the outcome of that peace deal to see the hostages released, most importantly, aid flow to Gaza and an enduring peace put in place.”
