Top Palestinian diplomat urges Australia to back ceasefire in looming UN vote

Izzat Abdulhadi asks government not to abstain like it did in October vote, saying leadership is about principles even amid ‘huge risk’

The top Palestinian diplomat in Australia is urging the government to back a Gaza ceasefire in a looming UN vote, saying the world must stand against increasingly “catastrophic” conditions in the besieged strip.

Izzat Abdulhadi, the head of the Palestinian delegation in Canberra, appealed to the Australian government not to abstain like it did in a similar vote in October, saying “leadership means to have a principled position even if it has a huge risk”.