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| Thousands attend pro-Palestine rallies in Australian cities ahead of hoped-for ceasefire | Thousands attend pro-Palestine rallies in Australian cities ahead of hoped-for ceasefire |
| (about 13 hours later) | |
| Prime minister hopeful Israel-Hamas ceasefire will hold as Chris Minns vows to strengthen NSW hate speech laws in wake of antisemitic incidents | Prime minister hopeful Israel-Hamas ceasefire will hold as Chris Minns vows to strengthen NSW hate speech laws in wake of antisemitic incidents |
| Thousands have gathered in Sydney and Melbourne hoping to celebrate a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas following a 15-month war. | Thousands have gathered in Sydney and Melbourne hoping to celebrate a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas following a 15-month war. |
| The three-phased ceasefire was to come into effect on Sunday evening Australian time, after Israel agreed to the deal, which will see the release of hostages. | The three-phased ceasefire was to come into effect on Sunday evening Australian time, after Israel agreed to the deal, which will see the release of hostages. |
| But in a last-minute hitch the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said it would not begin until Israel received from Hamas a list of names of Israeli hostages set to be released. | But in a last-minute hitch the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said it would not begin until Israel received from Hamas a list of names of Israeli hostages set to be released. |
| Hundreds of people attended a peaceful pro-Palestinian rally in Sydney’s Hyde Park on Sunday and cheered defiant speeches urging them to continue pushing for a Palestinian state. | Hundreds of people attended a peaceful pro-Palestinian rally in Sydney’s Hyde Park on Sunday and cheered defiant speeches urging them to continue pushing for a Palestinian state. |
| Hundreds were also expected to attend a peaceful celebration in Melbourne’s Coburg North on Sunday evening in support of those affected by the conflict in the Middle East which has left many grieving for lost family members and destroyed homes. | Hundreds were also expected to attend a peaceful celebration in Melbourne’s Coburg North on Sunday evening in support of those affected by the conflict in the Middle East which has left many grieving for lost family members and destroyed homes. |
| Organiser Hash Tayeh said Sunday’s event was a time to celebrate, mourn and reflect for all of humanity, not just Palestinians. | Organiser Hash Tayeh said Sunday’s event was a time to celebrate, mourn and reflect for all of humanity, not just Palestinians. |
| Tayeh, who has lost 40 relatives in the Gaza conflict, said despite the ceasefire the struggle for accountability and rebuilding continued. | Tayeh, who has lost 40 relatives in the Gaza conflict, said despite the ceasefire the struggle for accountability and rebuilding continued. |
| “I personally woke up pretty happy this morning, full of energy and just excited for that relief that’s going to come to those people,” he said. “But the hardship in terms of people still rebuilding their lives here in Australia and around the world, the homes are destroyed in Gaza, that continues.” | “I personally woke up pretty happy this morning, full of energy and just excited for that relief that’s going to come to those people,” he said. “But the hardship in terms of people still rebuilding their lives here in Australia and around the world, the homes are destroyed in Gaza, that continues.” |
| The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said despite lingering tensions there was hope a ceasefire in the Middle East would hold. | The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said despite lingering tensions there was hope a ceasefire in the Middle East would hold. |
| “We’re certainly hopeful, as I think the world is, that this ceasefire holds. It’s what the world has wanted to see and it is good that it has occurred and that it will come into place,” Albanese told reporters. | “We’re certainly hopeful, as I think the world is, that this ceasefire holds. It’s what the world has wanted to see and it is good that it has occurred and that it will come into place,” Albanese told reporters. |
| “We want to see hostages released, we want to see proper aid be able to get to the people of Gaza, and we want Israelis and Palestinians to be able to live in peace and security.” | “We want to see hostages released, we want to see proper aid be able to get to the people of Gaza, and we want Israelis and Palestinians to be able to live in peace and security.” |
| Israel’s war in Gaza was launched after Hamas’s attack in October 2023, which killed 1,200 people and resulted in 250 hostages being taken, according to Israeli authorities. | Israel’s war in Gaza was launched after Hamas’s attack in October 2023, which killed 1,200 people and resulted in 250 hostages being taken, according to Israeli authorities. |
| Almost 50,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel’s retaliatory campaign began, according to Gaza’s health ministry. | Almost 50,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel’s retaliatory campaign began, according to Gaza’s health ministry. |
| The New South Wales premier, Chris Minns, on Sunday vowed to strengthen the state’s hate speech laws in response to a spate of antisemitic incidents, including the vandalism of a prominent Jewish leader’s former home on Friday. | The New South Wales premier, Chris Minns, on Sunday vowed to strengthen the state’s hate speech laws in response to a spate of antisemitic incidents, including the vandalism of a prominent Jewish leader’s former home on Friday. |
| The series of attacks in Sydney, which include vandalism of homes and setting vehicles alight, has prompted concern from community leaders over an escalation of violence in reaction to the conflict in Gaza. | The series of attacks in Sydney, which include vandalism of homes and setting vehicles alight, has prompted concern from community leaders over an escalation of violence in reaction to the conflict in Gaza. |
| On Friday, NSW police said it was also investigating Islamophobic graffiti found on a corner store in western Sydney. | On Friday, NSW police said it was also investigating Islamophobic graffiti found on a corner store in western Sydney. |
| Minns said a “difficult decision” would be made when NSW parliament returns to crack down further on anyone “preaching hatred in the community”. | Minns said a “difficult decision” would be made when NSW parliament returns to crack down further on anyone “preaching hatred in the community”. |
| “Our government’s going to make a decision soon, a difficult decision, but the right one, I believe, to strengthen hate speech laws in NSW so that if someone’s preaching hatred in the community, it doesn’t manifest itself two months or three months later in a firebombing or an attack or something worse,” he said on Sunday. | “Our government’s going to make a decision soon, a difficult decision, but the right one, I believe, to strengthen hate speech laws in NSW so that if someone’s preaching hatred in the community, it doesn’t manifest itself two months or three months later in a firebombing or an attack or something worse,” he said on Sunday. |
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| “No stone will be left unturned, and we will, of course, meet all kinds of violent activity in NSW with a massive, massive police response.” | “No stone will be left unturned, and we will, of course, meet all kinds of violent activity in NSW with a massive, massive police response.” |
| Albanese, who was in western Sydney to announce $1bn in road funding alongside Minns, said his government was “determined to stamp this out”. | Albanese, who was in western Sydney to announce $1bn in road funding alongside Minns, said his government was “determined to stamp this out”. |
| A special federal police taskforce is investigating antisemitism across Australia after the terrorist attack on the Adass Israel synagogue in Melbourne. The taskforce arrested a Sydney man on Thursday for allegedly making death threats towards members of a Jewish organisation. | A special federal police taskforce is investigating antisemitism across Australia after the terrorist attack on the Adass Israel synagogue in Melbourne. The taskforce arrested a Sydney man on Thursday for allegedly making death threats towards members of a Jewish organisation. |
| “There is no place in Australia for antisemitism, there is no place for the sort of outrageous acts that we have seen,” Albanese said. | “There is no place in Australia for antisemitism, there is no place for the sort of outrageous acts that we have seen,” Albanese said. |
| Addressing the standoff between NSW public psychiatrists and the state government, Minns said he was concerned but said the pay demands were not something the state could afford. | Addressing the standoff between NSW public psychiatrists and the state government, Minns said he was concerned but said the pay demands were not something the state could afford. |
| More than 200 of the state’s public psychiatrists could quit this week after negotiations between the union and the government reached an impasse. | More than 200 of the state’s public psychiatrists could quit this week after negotiations between the union and the government reached an impasse. |
| The doctors’ union, the Australian Salaried Medical Officers’ Federation, has warned the health system would “go off a cliff” if the mass resignations go ahead. | The doctors’ union, the Australian Salaried Medical Officers’ Federation, has warned the health system would “go off a cliff” if the mass resignations go ahead. |
| The state’s psychiatrists are proposing a special levy to increase their pay by 25%, similar to that which emergency doctors received in 2015, which would help bring NSW salaries to parity with other states and territories. | The state’s psychiatrists are proposing a special levy to increase their pay by 25%, similar to that which emergency doctors received in 2015, which would help bring NSW salaries to parity with other states and territories. |
| Minns said the salary increase could equate to as much as an additional $100,000 per year for psychiatrists. | Minns said the salary increase could equate to as much as an additional $100,000 per year for psychiatrists. |
| The premier said accepting the pay demands could infuriate other essential workers on lower wages, and encourage them to threaten crippling government services in order to secure pay demands. | The premier said accepting the pay demands could infuriate other essential workers on lower wages, and encourage them to threaten crippling government services in order to secure pay demands. |
| “We would be in a situation where we were saying no to nurses, no to police officers, no to teachers, but yes to psychiatrists specifically, because they threatened to cripple the public health system if we didn’t,” Minns said. | “We would be in a situation where we were saying no to nurses, no to police officers, no to teachers, but yes to psychiatrists specifically, because they threatened to cripple the public health system if we didn’t,” Minns said. |
| “I think that would be an open invitation to other groups who’ve got asks of the NSW government to do the same thing.” | “I think that would be an open invitation to other groups who’ve got asks of the NSW government to do the same thing.” |