China believes in ‘Palestinian rule over Palestinians’, says foreign ministry spokesperson after US president’s announcement critics say amounts to ethnic cleansing

Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, says his government continues to support a two-state solution in the Middle East, “where both Israelis and Palestinians could live in peace and security.”

“We’ve supported a ceasefire, we’ve supported hostages being released and we’ve supported aid getting into Gaza,” he told reporters Wednesday in Canberra when asked about Trump’s remarks. “That is consistent with what Australia governments have always done, which is to provide support.”

Albanese did not directly respond to reporters’ questions about how he would characterise Trump’s Gaza plan.

“I’m not going to have a running commentary on statements by the president of the United States,” he said. “I’ve made that very clear.”

Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said on Wednesday that US President Donald Trump’s remarks about taking over the Gaza Strip were ‘ridiculous’ and ‘absurd’.

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