The killing of United Nations peacekeepers in southern Lebanon has been condemned by Australia as the Israeli ambassador defends his country’s ground invasion of the neighbouring nation.
Three Indonesian personnel working for the UN have been killed in Lebanon but the force which carried out the strikes is yet to be formally identified.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong condemned the killings and said the attacks were unacceptable.
“We extend our sincere condolences to their loved ones, colleagues and to Indonesia,” she said on X.
“We support Indonesia’s calls for a thorough investigation.”
Israel’s ambassador to Australia Hillel Newman claimed his country’s incursion into Lebanon was “100 per cent defensive” to stop Hezbollah from launching rockets into Israel.
Israel is seeking to take control of part of Lebanon between the border and the Litani river, 30 kilometres north.
More than 1200 people have been killed since the start of the Israeli ground incursion, the Lebanese health ministry has said according to local media.
“We are in a difficult neighbourhood,” Dr Newman told the National Press Club on Tuesday.
“We have neighbours who are bent on the destruction of the state of Israel.
“I wish my neighbours were Fiji and New Zealand, my life would be totally different,” he said.
Overnight, Israel passed laws allowing the death penalty for Palestinians in the West Bank who are convicted of murdering Israelis.
In response, Senator Wong said Australia was against the death penalty in all instances but Dr Newman said the rules would be a deterrent for “terrorists” on Israel’s borders.
He said there were safeguards written into the legislation, allowing people sentenced to death to appeal.
A small group of protesters gathered outside the venue, with one telling AAP they were “disgusted” the ambassador was being given such a platform.
“We don’t need to hear more from Israel and yet here he is on our stage,” demonstrator Peta Swarbrick said.
Dr Newman, who arrived in Canberra early in 2026, defended Israel’s killing of three journalists in Lebanon on Saturday, claiming at least two of them had links to Hezbollah, a listed terrorist group.
“Israel has never targeted a journalist just for being a journalist,” he said.
After the strike, Israel’s defence force posted an image of journalist Ali Shoeib – one of those killed – which was doctored to show him in a military uniform.
Dr Newman would not say when the war would end, only outlining his country’s main objectives for the conflict which were removing Iran’s ability to launch nuclear and conventional missiles.
He said while regime change in Iran was not Israel’s primary goal, it would likely be needed to remove the military threat.
US President Donald Trump has threatened to target Iran’s energy infrastructure if a deal to end the joint American and Israeli war against Iran is not reached soon.
Senator Wong confirmed more than 103 direct commercial flights carrying about 10,400 Australians have arrived home from the Middle East since March 4.
Australians in the region should not delay their departure and should leave on commercial flights, she said.
“While there are talks to end the conflict, the situation in the Middle East remains volatile and could deteriorate rapidly,” Senator Wong said.
Australians are also being urged not to travel through Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Palestine, Qatar, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
The federal government has been intensifying its calls for de-escalation.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has called for a clear timeline to end the conflict, arguing the United States has achieved most of its initial objectives.
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