Australia and southeast Asian nations call for ceasefire in Gaza

In a joint statement, Australia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, called for “an immediate and durable humanitarian ceasefire” in Gaza.

“We condemn attacks against all civilians and civilian infrastructure, leading to further deterioration of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza including restricted access to food, water, and other basic needs,” the statement read.

The statement comes after days of arguing over the language to be used in the text during the three-day summit in Melbourne.

Most notably, Singapore, a state that enjoys close ties to Israel, stood against an earlier suggestion that would have the statement condemn "the use of starvation" in Gaza.