Australia Opposes Israel's Lebanon Escalation, Imposes New Sanctions

(MENAFN) Australia has come out firmly against Israel's intensifying military campaign in Lebanon, with Foreign Minister Penny Wong declaring Wednesday that any durable Middle East ceasefire must explicitly encompass Lebanon to have any meaningful chance of holding.

Speaking to an Australian broadcasting agency, Wong said Canberra's position leaves no room for ambiguity. The ceasefire, she argued, "from the beginning should have applied to Lebanon."

"We oppose Israel's escalation in Lebanon ... We have a clear view, in this circumstance, about the escalation which we do not support," Wong said.

She pressed further, warning of the broader implications of Lebanon's exclusion from any truce: "And we continue to say, without the ceasefire applying to Lebanon, it is difficult to see how the broader ceasefire in the region can continue or be strengthened."

Wong also confirmed that Australia moved Tuesday to impose financial sanctions and travel bans targeting three individuals and four entities in Israel, in direct response to escalating settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. The measures were taken in coordination with partners including New Zealand, according to a media release published on the foreign minister's official website.

Notably, the sanctions mark the first time Australia has taken aim at Israeli settler farming outposts in the West Bank — sites the release described as operating as "hubs for settler violence."

The statement reaffirmed Australia's "steadfast" commitment to the two-state solution, characterizing it as "the only pathway to enduring peace and security for both Israelis and Palestinians."

MENAFN04062026000045017169ID1111210944