Doctor urges Australia to help Gazans as government moves towards recognising Palestinian state

After returning from Gaza, an Australian trainee emergency doctor is calling on Australia to lead a project establishing a children's hospital, and to recognise Palestinian statehood. Australia's representative to the United Nations has welcomed international moves to recognise statehood before a peace process is finalised. It comes as some have called for Australia to join like-minded nations in threatening sanctions on Israel after an 11-week blockade on aid. But there are concerns within the community that recognising statehood would reward Hamas.