TRANSCRIPT
United States President Joe Biden is backing the Israeli Defence Force's account of an explosion that's reported to have killed hundreds of Palestinians at the Al-Ahli Arab hospital in Gaza City.
Mr Biden has wrapped up a brief visit to the country, where he met with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu.
Israeli officials blame the explosion on a misfired rocket launched by Islamic Jihad - the second largest militant group in the Gaza Strip after Hamas.
While Palestinian health officials say it was caused by an Israeli air strike.
President Biden pledged his support to Israel and condemned Hamas, saying the militant group should be destroyed entirely.
"We mourn the loss of innocent Palestinian lives like the entire world. I was outraged and saddened by the enormous loss of life yesterday in the hospital in Gaza. Based on the information we have seen to date, it appears the result of an errant rocket fired by a terrorist group on Gaza."
But he also warned Israel not to be consumed with rage, referring to the United States' response to 9/11.
"You can't look at what has happened here to your mothers, your fathers, your grandparents, sons, daughters, children, even babies, and not scream out for justice. Justice must be done. But I caution this, while you feel that rage, don't be consumed by it. After 9-11. We were enraged in the United States when we sought justice and got justice. We also made mistakes."
Mr Biden proposed a two-state solution, saying there must be a path to a Palestinian state.
He also announced $150 million in aid to both Gaza and the West Bank.
The U-S President has secured a deal to allow aid into the Gaza Strip - which is highly dependent on imports - and has been running out of supplies, like water, food and fuel since being subject to a blockade and retaliatory strikes from the Israeli defence forces.
It comes as the United States vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution that would have called for humanitarian pauses in the conflict between Israel and Hamas militants to allow humanitarian aid access to the Gaza Strip.
The vote on the Brazilian-drafted text was twice delayed in the last couple of days as the United States tries to broker aid access to Gaza.
United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield told the council the U-S is already on the ground doing the work of diplomacy.
"And while we recognise Brazil's desire to move this text forward, we believe we need to let that diplomacy play out, especially when Secretary-General Guterres, President Biden, Secretary Blinken and regional actors are engaged in intensive dialog on the very issues we are deliberating on today."
The blast at the hospital has prompted worldwide protests.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered across the Middle East, in the West Bank, in Istanbul and here in Australia.
At a vigil outside Liverpool Hospital in Sydney, protesters called for a stronger response from the Australian government.
"We stand here in silence and our silence will be heard, and to all those who will not speak up against this affront to basic humanity, their silence has been deafening over and over again, just plain wrong. Surely, surely we can just all agree to that."
In other developments, there were tearful and emotional scenes at Sydney Airport last night, as a second repatriation flight from Tel Aviv carrying 126 Australian passport holders, and 43 of their immediate family members, touched down in Australia.
There were also 65 citizens from Solomon Islands and 18 people from Vanuatu on board.
And while for many it was a relief to be home, this man told the Seven Network that for him, it's bittersweet.
"We're leaving on, not on the best circumstances over there. There was-- we had a tragedy in the family unfortunately due to the fighting. We also leave three daughters behind as well, so quite mixed feelings. But thank God we're here and we're all safe."
Australian officials say there are more than 1,500 Australians registered with the Department of Foreign Affairs that have left the region, while around 1,200 Australians are in contact with the government continue to receive updates about returning home.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong has warned Australians to take any opportunity possible to leave Israel as the situation remains "highly challenging and rapidly changing".
The Minister for Industry and Science Ed Husic says while he condemns Hamas, Palestinians are now paying the price for what he has referred to as the militant group's 'barbarism.'
He told the ABC Australia needs to acknowledge the human impact the conflict is taking on Palestinians.
"Palestinians are being collectively punished here for Hamas's barbarism. I really do feel that there is an obligation on governments, particularly the Israeli government to, as we have said, follow the rules of international law. Governments are different to terrorist organisations. Governments, there is a higher expectation that there will be a protection of innocent lives."
