Australian and Palestinian legal groups have jointly made a formal request to the Australian Federal Police (AFP) to investigate Israel’s President, Isaac Herzog on allegations that Herzog engaged in conduct that amounted to the offences of incitement to genocide and advocating genocide under the Commonwealth Criminal Code. The request is timely in light of Herzog’s expected imminent visit to Australia.

The Australian Centre for International Justice welcomes yesterday’s Joint Statement signed by the Australian Foreign Minister alongside counterparts from 27 other countries calling for an immediate end to the war in Gaza and condemning violations of international law by Hamas and the Israeli authorities. But we must be clear: these words, while overdue, fall far short of what the gravity of the situation demands—and they cannot obscure the Australian Government’s long-standing failure to act decisively in the face of mounting atrocities.

The Australian Centre for International Justice joins a group of 15 leading human rights and legal organisations in releasing an open letter urging an end to the current privatised, militarised aid delivery model operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF) and calling for a return to internationally recognized humanitarian channels through the United Nations across the occupied Gaza Strip. The letter also warns all individuals and entities involved—including State actors, private security contractors, consulting firms, and donors—of potential legal liability for complicity in war crimes, crimes against humanity, and possibly genocide.