PM says frustration with Netanyahu bolstered Australia’s move on Palestinian state
Josh Butler
Anthony Albanese claimed Israel’s leader, Benjamin Netanyahu, is “in denial” about the suffering of civilians in Gaza, and said frustration with Israel’s actions partly contributed to the decision to recognise a Palestinian state.
Going back to Albanese’s interview on the ABC earlier, the PM was asked if “frustration” at the Netanyahu government’s actions had contributed to Australia’s move yesterday.
“Yes,” Albanese replied, adding:
The decisions of the Netanyahu government: firstly, the stopping of aid that we’ve seen and then the loss of life that we’re seeing around those aid distribution points, where people queueing for food and water are losing their lives, it’s just completely unacceptable. And we have said that.
Albanese went on to reflect on his call with Netanyahu last week, where he told the Israeli leader about Australia’s pending decision.
I spoke with prime minister Netanyahu. He, again, reiterated to me what he has said publicly as well – which is to be in denial about the consequences that are occurring for innocent people.
Key events
Man found dead in north-west Sydney in suspected hit and run
NSW Police are appealing for information after a man’s body was found on the side of the road in Sydney’s northwest last night.
Emergency services were called to Yarramundi, about 10kms south of the suburb of Richmond in Sydney’s Hawksbury region, after reports a body was seen on the side of the road at around 11.30pm. Police established a crime scene and say initial inquiries show the man was struck by a vehicle that allegedly failed to stop.
Police have been told a dark-coloured vehicle was traveling in the area in an erratic manner around the time of the incident, and are urging anyone with knowledge of the suspected crash or with footage to contact authorities.
The man has not been identified.
Snoop Dogg to perform at 2025 AFL grand final
Jack Snape
The AFL has secured another international A-list performer for the entertainment at this year’s grand final with the announcement that American rapper Snoop Dogg will grace the MCG.
The 53-year-old is an unusual fit with the athletic arena, having become synonymous with marijuana during his three decades in music – especially given the AFL is currently wrestling with its own illicit drugs policy. He has developed a close association with elite sport in recent years though, including appearing at the Paris Olympics where he was a special correspondent for American broadcaster NBC.
Snoop Dogg said of the news:
It’s an absolute honour to be hitting the stage at the AFL grand final – it’s one of the biggest events on the Aussie calendar. Can’t wait to bring the energy and celebrate with the fans. Let’s make it unforgettable.
Read more here:
Benita Kolovos
Victoria government opens consultation on work-from-home protections
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, and treasurer, Jaclyn Symes, held a press conference earlier to announce the beginning of consultation on the government’s plan to enshrine the right to work-from-home into law.
Allan says the consultation will not determine whether working from home should be a right, as it has already been decided it should be. Instead, it will focus on how to “get it right” ahead of legislation being introduced to parliament next year.
Victorians can share their views through an online survey or submission on Engage Victoria from 12 August to 28 September. The government will also run online forums for industry stakeholders in 2025. Businesses can register to be involved by 31 August.
Allan said earlier:
We’ve heard a lot about what some in big business think about working from home. Well, I want to make sure that the voices of working people and families are heard.
I also want to hear from businesses – small and medium businesses – in the regions, in the suburbs. We want to make sure that as many voices are being heard, are listened to, as we move here in Victoria to protect workers rights to work from home.
Albanese says Netanyahu’s move to occupy Gaza City key piece of decision on Palestinian state
The prime minister is speaking in Melbourne, saying the government had looked at the “totality” of the situation in Gaza before making its decision yesterday on recognition of a Palestinian state. Albanese said Israel’s announcement last week that it would occupy Gaza City was a key piece of that calculus:
We make assessment based upon the totality of what is before us. The commitments from the Palestinian Authority have been important. The declarations by other countries means that there is momentum towards a two-state solution and towards the international community making that position clear.
The other thing that is occurring is, of course, the decision by the Israeli government to double down on its military solution without a political solution being advanced or forwarded by the Netanyahu government, with the decision that they’ve made to go in and to occupy Gaza City.
Guardian Australia’s Tom McIlroy has some analysis on that front here:
Luca Ittimani
Channel Seven sees streaming boost as free-to-air continues decline
Rising viewership of streaming services has put pressure on TV advertising revenues but boosted audiences for Channel Seven’s video-on-demand services, Seven Plus.
Channel Seven’s parent company, Seven West Media, released its financial results today and included new research from TV engagement measurement company OzTAM.
Broadcast TV dominates viewing across Australia, making up 61% of TV use compared to 31% for streaming. For the 25 to 54 age group, broadcast TV made up just 47% of viewing compared to 41% for streaming. The remaining 10% or so went to broadcast video on demand (ABC iView, Seven Plus, Nine Now and so on), OzTAM’s research showed.
The rise of streaming and on-demand viewing doesn’t help TV advertising revenue, which Seven West is struggling with, but the company says it has faith Seven Plus can reach that market.
Seven Plus streaming reported 484 million daily active users in 2024-25, up from 380 million in 2023-24, or a 27% rise, bringing a 26% boost to revenue.
The Nightly, SWM’s digital masthead that launched in February 2024, reported a 60% increase in monthly page views over financial year 2025. Jeff Howard, the company’s chief executive, said 80% of its audience growth was outside the company’s home state of Western Australia.
Josh Butler
Scott Morrison says Jewish Australians will feel ‘sense of betrayal’ over Palestinian state
Former Liberal prime minister Scott Morrison called the Labor government’s upcoming recognition of a Palestinian state a “hollow gesture” and claimed Jewish-Australians would feel a “sense of betrayal”.
In a post on his website, Morrison claimed the diplomatic shift would not help deliver more aid to Gaza, “nor deliver a viable two state solution”.
Morrison’s Coalition government was defeated by Anthony Albanese’s Labor at the 2022 election.
Morrison wrote:
It will prove a hollow gesture, like for all those who have taken this step before it. None should take any comfort in it. Meanwhile the suffering will regrettably continue in Gaza and the hostages will remain in captivity and be tossed into the graves their captors have forced them to dig. The only winner is Hamas.
In government the Coalition listed Hamas as a terrorist organisation. Our Labor successors have regrettably rewarded them through this action. I know this is not their intention, but it is the result. The caravan of appeasement is not one we should join.
To the Australian Jewish community, I can only imagine the sense of betrayal you must feel. I remember October 7. Am Yisrael Chai.
Luca Ittimani
Seven West Media profits shrink amid declining ad revenue
Channel Seven’s media company saw a $61m drop in revenue in the year to June as TV advertising slipped, with after-tax profit nearly 20 times smaller than it recorded in 2021.
Seven West Media, which owns the free-to-air Network Seven and The West Australian news group and is chaired by billionaire Kerry Stokes, published its annual earnings report this morning.
Broadcast TV advertising revenue fell in 2024-25 from $995m to $915m annually. The biggest decline came in the second half of 2024 but early 2025 numbers disappointed as well, with the report saying: “the post-federal election market was weaker than anticipated”.
A $34m increase in ad revenue from 7plus and a $11m cut in labour costs helped offset the decline in TV ad cash, though Seven’s TV division overall saw profitability fall 26%, as measured by earnings before interest and taxes.
Seven West’s newspaper division, led by The West Australian, saw profitability slip 8% on the same measure, with revenue falling from $174m to $169m. A 7% decline in advertising revenue more than offset a 4% pickup in newspaper sales.
The company’s statutory net profit after tax has fallen each year since its financial year 2021 result of $318m and this year hit $17m – almost 20 times less than was recorded in 2021.
PM says frustration with Netanyahu bolstered Australia’s move on Palestinian state
Josh Butler
Anthony Albanese claimed Israel’s leader, Benjamin Netanyahu, is “in denial” about the suffering of civilians in Gaza, and said frustration with Israel’s actions partly contributed to the decision to recognise a Palestinian state.
Going back to Albanese’s interview on the ABC earlier, the PM was asked if “frustration” at the Netanyahu government’s actions had contributed to Australia’s move yesterday.
“Yes,” Albanese replied, adding:
The decisions of the Netanyahu government: firstly, the stopping of aid that we’ve seen and then the loss of life that we’re seeing around those aid distribution points, where people queueing for food and water are losing their lives, it’s just completely unacceptable. And we have said that.
Albanese went on to reflect on his call with Netanyahu last week, where he told the Israeli leader about Australia’s pending decision.
I spoke with prime minister Netanyahu. He, again, reiterated to me what he has said publicly as well – which is to be in denial about the consequences that are occurring for innocent people.
Hastie says Gaza is ‘rubble’, but recognition of Palestine not going to bring peace ‘any time soon’
Shadow home affairs minister Andrew Hastie said the Coalition believes recognition of Palestine is a “bad decision” and “historic for all the wrong reasons”.
Hastie was asked about Israel’s decision to occupy Gaza City in recent days. Hastie said of Israel:
I understand their desire for security, especially after what happened on October 7. But I’d love to see a diplomatic solution …
When you look at Gaza from up on high through Google Earth, you’ll see that it has been largely destroyed, it’s rubble. And so, we’d all like to see peace. But I think this decision by the government is not going to bring that any time soon, and in fact, whilst Hamas remains in power, this war will continue.
Hastie said Australia has “limited agency” to make change in the Middle East, and can largely “just express our concerns as friends”.
Of course, this could all end right now if Hamas brought those hostages up out of those stinking tunnels and handed them back to the Israelis so they could be reunited [with] their families … That is the simple pathway to peace. And then potentially we could talk about Palestinian statehood.
Josh Butler
Albanese says world has power to stop Hamas from being part of recognised Palestinian state
Anthony Albanese suggested the international community could stop Hamas members from standing for elections in a future Palestinian state, as part of conditions for Australia pledging to recognise the nation.
But the prime minister refused multiple times to say whether he would revoke Australia’s recognition of a Palestinian state if those conditions were not met.
Continuing his media blitz this morning, the prime minister was asked on Channel Nine about Australia’s conditions for recognising Palestinian statehood, including what the international community could do to stop Hamas being part of a future state:
Of course there is something we can do. We can stop them standing, let alone be elected. You can if you have the Arab states in the Middle East, all speaking as one as well as the Palestinian Authority as well as the international community. Yes you can.
Asked if Australia could wind back its recognition, Albanese would not directly engage, only saying multiple times that Hamas would have no role in a future state:
The international community is saying that we can’t just continue to do the same thing.
We saw the terrorist atrocities of October 7th result in the greatest loss of Jewish life since the Holocaust, and since then, we’ve seen tens of thousands of lives lost, innocent lives being lost in Gaza. We’re seeing an increase in settlements and settler violence on the West Bank. We need to break this cycle of violence.
Albanese says too many journalists dead in Gaza after prominent Al Jazeera reporter killed in Israeli strike
The prime minister was asked on ABC News about the death of Anas al-Sharif, a prominent reporter for Al Jazeera who was killed alongside four of his colleagues in an Israeli airstrike on Sunday night.
Albanese said he couldn’t comment on the specific incident, but said too many media and aid workers had been killed in the conflict:
I’m not in a position to comment on any individual. What we can say, though, is that too many innocent lives have been lost in Gaza.
There have been too many journalists, people who are aid workers as well providing assistance, including of course an Australian citizen, lost in the past couple of years. You know, we see too many innocent lives being lost across the board.
Michaelia Cash says recognition of Palestine rewards ‘terrorists’
Michaelia Cash, the shadow foreign affairs minister, said Australia’s move would reward Hamas and deliver one of its strategic objectives behind the 7 October attacks. Cash told RN Breakfast’s Sally Sara:
You don’t achieve peace, Sally, by rewarding terrorists. In making his announcement to recognise Palestine prior to a return of the hostages and the defeat of Hamas, Mr Albanese has effectively delivered Hamas, which is a terrorist organisation, one of its strategic objectives of the horrific terrorism on October the 7th.
The Coalition is clear: you don’t reward terrorists while they’re still holding innocent people captive.
Cash maintained the Coalition’s stance that Israeli has a right to defend itself, although she said both parties – Israel and Hamas – must comply with international law. When pressed on Radio National about Israel’s blockade of aid in Gaza, Cash said there was “no question” the humanitarian situation there was dire:
That is not for you and I to sit back in Australia [and say] when we’ve probably both gone and had a cup of coffee this morning in our office …
Australia must advocate for safe, reliable humanitarian access, and this means ensuring aid is delivered even under conflict. It must reach civilians and it cannot be exploited by any party. Our focus should stay firm, on protecting children and innocent civilians, not deflecting blame.
Wong says recognition a change to ‘move to a better future’
Foreign minister Penny Wong said the world has an opportunity to “move to a better future” and that’s why Australia said yesterday it would recognise a Palestinian state at the UN in September. Wong spoke to RN Breakfast this morning, saying:
We’ve been looking for the best opportunity for Australia to contribute to international momentum that breaks the cycle of violence. And that is what two-states seeks to do.
We can’t keep doing what we have been doing and hoping for a different outcome. And I think that’s the decision that so many countries of the world have made.
Wong also acknowledged that the US has a different role in the world and that Trump has been working to establish a ceasefire in Gaza. But she said Australia would continue to act alongside “many partners” to see that happen, too.
Albanese says Trump has been an advocate for peace
The prime minister was asked what Australia would do if the US, a permanent member of the UN security council, votes against any effort to address the conflict in Gaza during the next general assembly in September. Albanese said:
We will see how this plays out. But the world is coming together. …
We want to see the world move forward on this and certainly President Trump has been a strong advocate for peace.
President Trump will, of course, make decisions based upon the interests of the United States. We’re not big players in the Middle East, that is true, but this is a part of building that momentum of the world.
Albanese says ‘you can’t just keep doing the same thing’ after saying Australia will recognise Palestinian state
The prime minister just spoke to Channel 7’s Sunrise this morning, saying Australia’s decision to recognise a Palestinian state sent a message to the international community that “enough is enough”. Albanese said:
You can’t just keep doing the same thing over and over again and expect a different outcome. This is the best opportunity that there is out of a crisis to actually provide a long-term solution. …
Albanese elaborated on his call with the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, saying afterwards you “can’t just continue to do what he is saying, which is, we will continue to just have this military operation, without any political strategy for a solution going forward”:
We’re seeing how it is playing out, which is Gaza reduced to rubble. Tens of thousands of innocent lives being lost, innocent kids being killed while trying to get basic essential of food and water.
The world is watching. People are sick of it. It’s horrific watching that.
Good morning
Good morning and welcome to the live blog. It’s Nick Visser here to take you through the day’s news. Here’s what’s on deck:
The French president, Emmanuel Macron, welcomed Australia’s decision to recognise a Palestinian state. Macron wrote on social media Anthony Albanese’s announcement joined “the momentum we created in New York, which has already been supported by the United Kingdom, Canada, Portugal, and others”.
Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, maintained Australia’s decision would only reward Hamas and in no way help the Palestinian people. Herzog said “these declarations, by Australia and other countries, are a reward for terror, a prize for the enemies of freedom, liberty, and democracy. This is a grave and dangerous mistake”.
It’s RBA day for mortgage holders and savers. The Reserve Bank is set to hand down its decision on interest rates around 2.30pm Sydney time.
Let’s get to it.
