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Tel Aviv [Israel], January 16 (ANI/TPS): Israel's Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, met with the visiting Foreign Minister of Australia, Senator Penny Wong, on Tuesday and spoke on the telephone with Austria's Foreign Minister, Alexander Schallenberg.
Katz said he expressed his gratitude to Wong for her "expression of solidarity with Israel and her crystal clear condemnation of the atrocities committed by the Hamas on October 7th." "We held a constructive meeting today in which we discussed the importance of continuing the traditional excellent relations between Australia and Israel," said Katz. The two foreign ministers were joined in their meeting by family members of Israelis still held hostage in Gaza, Romi Gonen, Michael Levy and Louis Har. Katz said that Minister Wong expressed her commitment to publicly call and act for the release of all the hostages. "Even though Australia may be far in distance," he said, "the close cooperation [between Australia and Israel] will continue and strengthen." Minister Katz called Austria's Foreign Minister a "true ally of Israel" and that he also expressed gratitude to the FM for his "unwavering support and his clear denunciation of Hamas's brutal terrorist act on October 7." Katz said he emphasized to Minister Schallenberg that dismantling Hamas is the "most humane action Israel can take for Gaza's residents and the region's future." The two also discussed collaborating with countries in Israel's region to bring all of the Israeli hostages home and Schallenberg accepted Katz's invitation to visit Israel and witness "firsthand the devastating impact of Hamas's attacks on civilians." Minister Schallenberg commented about the call, "Reached out to my Israeli colleague Israel Katz and assured him of our solidarity in the fight against Hamas and efforts to release all hostages." (ANI/TPS)
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