Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong has called for the establishment of a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

Wong said today, Monday, before starting a tour that includes Israel, Jordan, the West Bank, and the United Arab Emirates: "Our position is that we want to see the establishment of a sustainable ceasefire, and to see an immediate humanitarian ceasefire as a step towards achieving that."

But she added, "There is no unilateral ceasefire, and there is no unconditional ceasefire."

Wong also called for the safe, permanent, and unobstructed passage of humanitarian aid and better protection for civilians in the Gaza Strip. She also wants to use her tour in the region to lead a campaign to reach a solution to the current conflict and establish lasting peace through the two-state solution.

During her visit to Israel, Wong intends to meet with relatives of the hostages and survivors of the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7.