Australia has pledged to uphold humanitarian law and protect aid workers. But in the face of an ICJ ruling on Gaza, its own anti-terror and accountability laws remain selectively unenforced.

As a lawyer bound by the principle that the law must be applied equally, the recent advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) reveals an indefensible contradiction in Australia’s selective and politically motivated application of its own anti-terrorism laws.

On 22 October 2025, the ICJ delivered a monumental rebuke to Israel, affirming its legal obligations as an occupying power in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Gaza to facilitate, not obstruct, the work of humanitarian agencies like UNRWA and the International Committee of the Red Cross. In a 200-plus page document, the ICJ expressly rejected Israel’s unsubstantiated security justifications for restricting aid, finding that its actions have deprived humanitarian aid that is “indispensable for the well-being and dignity” of the........

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