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That’s a wrap
Thanks for reading Need to Know this Sunday, April 7. Here are some of today’s top stories.
- ‘Systemic failure’ from Israel to commit to humanitarian law: Husic: Industry and Science Minister Ed Husic questioned the Israeli government’s conduct of the war in Gaza, saying it had failed to take sufficient precautions to avoid the deaths of civilians, aid workers and journalists.
- Israel must change aid safety procedures: Birmingham: Shadow foreign minister Simon Birmingham says Israel must explain how its procedures will change to ensure humanitarian workers can continue to operate safely in Gaza.
- NSW ‘getting hosed’ by GST allocations, says Minns: NSW Premier Chris Minns has doubled down on his criticism of the GST distribution model, urging a per capita distribution of tax revenue that would see the most populous states gain billions in extra revenue.
- Remote WA region scoured for missing boat arrival: West Australian police are searching for a man believed to have become separated from a group of people who arrived in Western Australia on an “unknown vessel”.
British support for Israel ‘not unconditional’: Cameron
The Telegraph
The UK’s support for Israel is not unconditional, the British foreign secretary has suggested as he expressed grave fears for civilians in Gaza.
Six months on from the Hamas attack which sparked the bombardment of Gaza, further protests in Tel Aviv on Saturday night (Sunday AEST) showed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing mounting domestic pressure while American and British leaders continued a chorus of international outrage over the killing of aid workers.
David Cameron. AP
David Cameron on Sunday reiterated his belief that Israel had a right to defend itself but issued a warning that its defence forces must comply with international law.
“Of course our backing is not unconditional: we expect such a proud and successful democracy to abide by international humanitarian law, even when challenged in this way,” Cameron wrote in the British newspaper The Sunday Times.
Israelis are divided on the approach by Netanyahu and his government. On Saturday night, relatives of people kidnapped by Hamas on October 7 joined demonstrations across Israel to call for the prime minister to resign and for the government to reach a deal on the return of hostages.
The protests erupted hours after the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed it had retrieved the body of hostage Elad Katzir, who was believed to have been killed by Islamic Jihad in January after months in captivity.
“He could have been saved if a deal had happened in time,” Katzir’s sister Carmit said. “Our leadership is cowardly and driven by political considerations, and that is why (a deal) did not happen.”
Overseas, anger at Israel’s military approach rose last week when it was revealed the IDF had killed seven charity workers – including British men John Chapman, James Henderson and James Kirby – who were in Gaza to deliver World Central Kitchen (WCK) meal packages to the thousands of people facing starvation.
“The tragic and avoidable killing of the World Central Kitchen aid workers was a terrible reminder of the cost of the Gaza conflict,” Cameron said.
″On this occasion, there is no doubt where the blame lies: Israel’s inquiry has already enumerated the inadequate processes and the unacceptable conduct of the IDF personnel involved. This must never happen again.″
He also said the UK continued to “push as hard as we can” to get food and humanitarian supplies to civilians trapped in the conflict zone.
“But aid will not make a difference unless it can be properly distributed. Guaranteed deconfliction for aid convoys and other humanitarian work is essential,” he said.
“We are pushing for a representative of humanitarian organisations to have a seat in Cogat, the Israeli body which handles these issues in Gaza.”
Meanwhile, the Foreign Office is continuing to weigh up legal advice about whether Israel is failing to show a strong enough commitment to humanitarian law.
East coast flood warnings remain as NSW clean up begins
Several Sydney communities have been flooded following record downpours as southeast Queensland also braces for heavy rain.
Further river rises and moderate to major flooding is expected along the Hawkesbury River, north-west of Sydney, from Richmond to Pitt Town, after the week ended with 200mm across much of the catchment.
The river peaked above the major flooding level at North Richmond late on Saturday evening, albeit two metres below the peaks reached in major floods in 2021 and 2022.
Flooding in North Richmond, north-west Sydney. Dean Sewell
More than 107 warnings were in place late on Saturday and 20 evacuation orders issued, with 32 emergency alerts still in place on Sunday morning.
Rain on Friday and Saturday caused landslips, flash flooding and a house in Wollongong to be swept into a creek. Witnesses reported seeing two people emerge from the mangled home in Mount Keira.
Investigations on Sunday will also continue into the death of a man found in water in Penrith.
The man, whose death has yet to be officially attributed to a cause, was located by a passerby about 7.30am on Saturday.
Damage assessments have begun across Sydney’s north-west and the Illawarra, where the SES says 20 properties have been impacted and six deemed non-habitable.
Disaster assistance has been announced for residents affected by the flooding in the Blue Mountains, Camden, Hawkesbury, Kiama, Liverpool, Penrith, Shellharbour, Shoalhaven, Sutherland, Upper Lachlan, Wingecarribee, Wollindilly and Wollongong areas.
The Bureau of Meteorology cancelled a severe weather warning for the NSW south coast, saying the worst conditions had passed.
Senior meteorologist Sarah Scully said there was still a significant amount of water needing to make its way downstream and several flood warnings were still current, including the Hawkesbury River.
“We’re at the tail end of this weather event with the flood conditions set to improve,” she told AAP.
“There’s no significant rainfall forecast over the next few days, which is good news for the recovery.”
Meanwhile, moderate rainfall is forecast for the already soggy southeast Queensland and northern NSW regions.
“In that region the grounds are just so wet that flash flooding is still possible just with moderate rainfall totals so it’s something for the community to be aware of,” Ms Scully said.
A major flood warning is in place for the usually intermittent Warrego River in the Queensland’s south-west.
Flood warnings are also in place for Eyre Creek and the Weir, Balonne, Moonie and Norman rivers.
Trump says $76 million raised from biggest fundraiser yet
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s campaign says a major fundraiser in Florida has raked in a massive $50.5 million ($76.7 million) as he seeks to replenish diminished coffers in his election ematch against Democrat Joe Biden.
The event on Saturday (Sunday AEST), his biggest fundraiser yet, is a much-needed boost for Trump, who has been routinely outraised by Biden and is in the midst of a financial squeeze due to ballooning lawyer fees and legal payouts from his criminal and civil court cases.
Donald Trump stands with Melania Trump as they are greeted by John Paulson (left) and Alina de Almeida in Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday (AEST). AP
The dinner, hosted at billionaire hedge fund manager John Paulson’s Palm Beach home, will allocate a portion of the money to be raised to a fundraising group that has spent tens of millions of dollars on Trump’s legal fees.
While Trump has struggled to get major traditional Republican donors on board, he retains the support of some heavy hitters. Co-hosts included hedge-fund investor Robert Mercer and his daughter and conservative activist Rebekah, investor Scott Bessent, and casino mogul Phil Ruffin, according to the fundraiser invitation seen by Reuters.
“People are just wanting change. Rich people want it, poor people want it,” said Trump in comments ahead of the fundraiser, flanked by his wife Melania Trump, who has largely stayed away from the campaign trail so far.
Biden spokesperson Ammar Moussa said on social media site X that billionaires had flocked to Trump’s event due to tax preferences.
“The ultra-wealthy are really mad at Joe Biden for making them pay their fair share,” he posted.
Paulson has been floated by Trump as a potential Treasury secretary, according to two sources. Bessent has also been floated for the role, one of those sources said.
In a statement on Saturday, Paulson said the “overwhelming support” at the dinner, which 100 guests were expected to attend, was a sign of enthusiasm for Trump.
Trump’s camp stressed the haul was double what Biden raised last month in a star-studded fundraiser with former presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.
The numbers will not be confirmed until filings are submitted to the Federal Election Commission. Campaigns sometimes exaggerate fundraising hauls to drive momentum.
Pro-Russia candidate wins Slovakia’s presidential election
New York Times
Voters in Slovakia have strengthened the grip of Russia-friendly political forces in central Europe, handing victory in a presidential election to a candidate who opposes providing military and financial aid to Ukraine.
With 99 per cent of the votes counted on Saturday (Sunday AEST), the official tally showed Peter Pellegrini, an ally of Slovakia’s populist prime minister, Robert Fico, the winner with 53 per cent of the vote in a presidential runoff.
Despite the presidency’s limited powers in Slovakia, the election was widely watched as a test of strength between political camps with starkly different views on Russia.
Peter Pellegrini won 53 per cent of the vote in Saturday’s presidential runoff.
The defeated candidate, former foreign minister Ivan Korcok, is a stalwart supporter of Ukraine and critic of Fico, a pugnacious veteran politician who has aligned with Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary in opposing aid to Ukraine and challenging mainstream opinions within the European Union.
With Fico at his side, Pellegrini declared victory early, soon after Korcok conceded defeat.
Korcok came first among nine candidates in an initial round of voting March 23, but he lost in Saturday’s faceoff with Pellegrini, who appears to have picked up votes that in the first round went to an anti-NATO nationalist who finished third.
In public statements, Fico has joined Orban in pushing for what he describes as “peace” in Ukraine, arguing the war will drag on indefinitely without a swift negotiated settlement. Ukraine and its Western backers consider an end to the war impossible unless Russia gives up occupied territory.
Korcok, a career diplomat who served as Slovakia’s ambassador to Washington from 2018 to 2020, has dismissed calls for immediate “peace” as a surrender to Russia’s goal of hanging on to Ukrainian land. He supports the stance that providing military and financial support to Ukraine is the only way to bring a lasting end to the conflict.
Fico, a veteran politician who ended an earlier stint as prime minister by resigning in 2018 amid a swirl of corruption accusations, has also followed Orban in trying to neuter the judiciary and in casting supporters of Ukraine as disloyal lackeys of the United States.
Fico returned to power after a general election in September, reviving a political career that many had considered over when he quit amid large street protests after the killing of an investigative journalist who had been looking into government graft.
Weekly protest in Tel Aviv turns sombre after recovery of hostage’s body
New York Times
Relatives and supporters of those abducted on October 7 in Israelha turned their weekly protest into a sombre vigil, remembering a hostage whose body was recovered this past week in the Gaza Strip and whose plight outraged thousands at a nearby antigovernment protest.
The Israeli military said on Saturday (Sunday AEST) it had retrieved the body of Elad Katzir, 47, in Khan Younis and repatriated him.
The militant group Islamic Jihad took Katzir from the Nir Oz kibbutz. He had twice appeared in videos during his captivity, and died in January at the hands of his captors, according to the Israeli military, an assertion that could not be verified.
People protest against Benjamin Netanyahu’s government in Tel Aviv overnight.
The news came on the eve of the war’s six-month anniversary, when thousands are expected to gather in Israel for more protests.
“For six months we have been in a nightmare,” said Esther Buchstab, the mother of Yagev Buchstab, 34, who was taken from Kibbutz Nirim on October 7, speaking at a vigil in Tel Aviv.
She added: “We demand that the state do everything to reach a deal, to bring back the living for rehabilitation and the murdered for burial.”
Nearby, in Democracy Square, thousands of antigovernment protesters called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to bring home the more than 130 hostages still missing after October 7.
As the protest was wrapping up, a car drove through the crowd of demonstrators in violation of police orders, wounding several people, according to a statement from police on Telegram.
It was unclear why the driver drove the car into the crowd, but the driver ignored police orders to stop and passengers in the car could be seen yelling at protesters in video posted on social media.
Sahar Shapira, 42, said the death of the hostage, Katzir, highlighted the urgent need for an agreement to return the hostages.
“It is clear to people that the hostages cannot survive,” she said, predicting “many others like him will return in a similar way.”
In an interview with The New York Times in 2009, after Palestinian rocket attacks led to a deadly three-week Israeli offensive against Hamas in Gaza, Katzir said he had a nagging feeling.
“I do not feel any victory,” Katzir said at the time, when the fighting had ended with a shaky ceasefire. “I still do not feel safe.”
News of Katzir’s death has inflamed tensions in Israel. In a statement announcing the vigil on Saturday, representatives of the relatives of hostages called on Israelis to gather in Jerusalem on Sunday for a rally marking six months of war.
Remote WA region scoured for missing boat arrival
West Australian police are searching for a man believed to have become separated from a group of people who arrived in Western Australia on an “unknown vessel”.
The force said it was searching for the man in “challenging terrain” in the vicinity of Mitchell Plateau in the far northern reaches of the remote Kimberley region.
Police have been advised the man might have been a passenger on an unknown vessel carrying a group of people who landed in a remote area of the Kimberley district on Friday.
Media reports said the group was thought to comprise 15 people who were being treated by authorities as illegal arrivals.
The Australian Border Force said in a statement it did not confirm or comment on operational matters.
Police said on Saturday the land search was in its preliminary stages and was taking place in an extremely remote area.
The latest arrivals come after a group of 39 people from Pakistan and Bangladesh were found at Beagle Bay, north of Broome, in February after they also came by boat.
The group was flown to an offshore detention centre on the Pacific island of Nauru.
Israel must change aid safety procedures: Birmingham
Shadow foreign minister Simon Birmingham says Israel must explain how its procedures will change to ensure humanitarian workers can continue to operate safely in Gaza.
In a hardening of the opposition’s language, Birmingham said the punishment of several Israeli army officers “shows some accountability and action”, but he expected Israeli to continue to be transparent in its investigation and to change its procedures relating to safety of humanitarian workers.
Speaking to the ABC’s Insiders program on Sunday, Birmingham said it was important not to lose sight of the “moral context” of the war in Gaza, which was triggered by Hamas’ attacks on southern Israel on October 7.
“Israel should be learning from its mistakes … it is upon Israel to act within the terms of international law, and that is a standard far higher than that applied to [Hamas].”
Birmingham said that, while the opposition supported the government’s efforts to hold Israel accountable for the strike that killed aid worker Zomi Frankcom, “we cannot turn away or be so naive as to pretend that tragedies and mistakes don’t happen in a war. They happen all the time, and we wish it was not the case.”
Israel launches strikes on eastern Lebanon, Lebanese security sources say
Israel launched airstrikes on the Bekaa Valley, in eastern Lebanon early on Sunday, two Lebanese security sources told Reuters, a few hours after the downing of an Israeli drone over Lebanon.
The sources said the Israeli attack targeted a training camp belonging to armed group Hezbollah in the Janta village, near the border with Syria.
One of the strikes was aimed at the town of Safri, near the eastern city of Baalbek, the sources added.
Hezbollah has been trading fire with Israel across Lebanon’s southern border since October 8, a day after Palestinian group Hamas launched an attack on Israel that has led to escalating regional tensions.
The Iran-backed group claimed responsibility for downing an Israeli drone on Saturday.
“The drone belonging to the Israeli army, which was shot down by the Islamic resistance fighters over Lebanese territory on the evening of Saturday, April 6, 2024, is of type Hermez 900,” Hezbollah said in a statement.
NSW ‘getting hosed’ by GST allocations: Minns
NSW Premier Chris Minns has doubled down on his criticism of the GST distribution model, urging a per capita distribution of tax revenue that would see the most populous states gain billions in extra revenue.
Speaking to Sky News on Sunday morning, Minns said NSW was “getting hosed” by the current distribution system, which grants proportionally more funds to states that have less capacity to raise revenue.
NSW had its GST distribution for 2025 reduced last month. Minns said “something’s got to give, because we have to say to the people of this state that so much of your money is heading south of the border or to one of the richest governments in the world in Western Australia.”
“It doesn’t seem fair,” he said.
On housing, Minns said NSW would find it “extremely difficult” to meet its current housing target, but would continue to seek to roll back planning restrictions to increase supply.
The flight of young people from Sydney was “horrifying” and “what happens when you have a decade of undersupply as a result of unnecessary overregulation and red tape as well as a tendency across all levels of government to say no [to new projects].”
“The consequences of that are that young people don’t get to write the next chapter in Sydney’s history,” he said.
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