Penny Wong says she believes Israeli soldiers sexually assaulted and abused Australian women after Gaza flotilla
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong has publicly stated she believes allegations from Australian women who claim they were sexually assaulted by Israeli soldiers. The women were part of a humanitarian flotilla intercepted by Israeli naval forces while attempting to deliver aid to Gaza.
Why it matters
The statement highlights a significant diplomatic friction point between Australia and Israel regarding the treatment of civilians in the ongoing Gaza conflict.
‘Those allegations are terrible. They are horrific. The treatment is unacceptable. And I express my empathy to those women to whom that was done,’ foreign affairs minister Penny Wong said. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP View image in fullscreen ‘Those allegations are terrible. They are horrific. The treatment is unacceptable. And I express my empathy to those women to whom that was done,’ foreign affairs minister Penny Wong said. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP Australian foreign policy Penny Wong says she believes Israeli soldiers sexually assaulted and abused Australian women after Gaza flotilla Foreign affairs minister says her position is to ‘always believe women’ when sexual assault allegations are made
The article reports on official government statements and allegations without taking a definitive stance on the veracity of the claims, though it focuses on the minister's perspective.
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