Overview
- The federal government confirmed it will deploy one Australian Defence Force liaison officer to a Civil-Military Coordination Centre in Israel run by US Central Command.
- Defence said the officer will focus on planning and coordination tasks and framed the contribution as consistent with Australia’s record in peacekeeping missions.
- Officials reiterated that Australia’s strategic priority remains the Indo-Pacific, while noting it will consider opportunities that support international peace and security.
- Opposition senator James Paterson urged extreme caution over any broader deployment to Gaza and described the current contribution as very modest.
- The US plan outlines support to train vetted Palestinian police with input from Egypt and Jordan, and some Australian figures questioned why the decision was announced quietly rather than during the prime minister’s Washington visit.