Australian news and politics live: Visa cancelled for woman who praised Hamas’ October 7 attack against Israel

Home Affairs has cancelled the visa of a Palestinian woman who praised a Hamas terror attack on Israel after minister Tony Burke demanded answers on why she was granted entry to Australia.

Mona Zahed had thanked Allah for keeping her alive long enough to witness Hamas’ October 7 terrorist attack on a music festival — where more than 1200 people were slaughtered and 250 hostages seized.

She had rejoiced in a social media post which included a photo of panicked, fleeing festival-goers: “Praise be to Allah who has kept us alive to see this day” and “we always see you well”.

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Home Affairs has now cancelled the visa of a Palestinian woman who praised a Hamas terror attack on Israel.

In social media posts from 2023, Mona Zahed had thanked Allah for keeping her alive long enough to witness Hamas’ October 7 terrorist attack on a music festival — where more than 1200 people were slaughtered and 250 hostages seized.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said earlier on Friday he was seeking answers from his department about how she had been granted a visa to come to Australia.

His office now says that visa has been cancelled.

“The reasons have been communicated directly to the applicant,” a spokesman for Mr Burke said.

The battle for the blue ribbon Sydney seat of Bradfield has hit the High Court, with the challenge set to be centred on the validity of around 150 votes.

A trial will decide if Liberal challenger Gisele Kapterian can overturn the election result against her Teal independent challenger.

Nicolette Boele was awarded the seat in north Sydney by 26 votes, or 50.01 per cent of the two candidate preferred, at May’s federal election.

Ms Kapterian’s legal challenge in the Court of Disputed Returns began on Friday, with Chief Justice Stephen Gageler referring the trial to the Federal Court in NSW.

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Liberal MP Wendy Tuckerman is believed to be quitting her role as shadow frontbencher over her party’s handling of Labor’s electricity bill.

The Daily Telegraph reported that she will make a speech about the decision in parliament today.

The Electricty Infrastructure Investment Amendment (Prioity Network Projects) Bill passed parliament on Thursday.

It has been reported that Ms Tuckerman is displeased as she only learnt about the draft legislation this week, when some other Liberal MPs had been briefed a week earlier.

Right before the announcement that Israel’s security cabinet had approved a plan to take control of Gaza city, Foreign Minister Penny Wong urged the Israeli government to abandon its plan for a full occupation of Gaza, warning that the strategy to eliminate Hamas risks breaking international law.

However, as Australia weighs joining Britain, Canada, and France in recognising Palestine, Senator Wong cautioned on Friday that a complete occupation “will only worsen the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.”

In her statement, Ms Wong said, “Australia calls on Israel to not go down this path, which will only worsen the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.”

She added, “Permanent forced displacement is a violation of international law.” She reinforced Australia’s position alongside international partners, calling for “a ceasefire, the return of hostages and aid to flow unimpeded.”

Ms Wong emphasised that “a two-state solution is the only pathway to secure an enduring peace – a Palestinian state and the State of Israel, living side-by-side in peace and security within internationally-recognised borders.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has confirmed that Israel’s security cabinet has approved a plan to take control of Gaza City, rejecting international calls for a ceasefire despite rising casualties.

There are “five principles for ending the war,” a statement from Mr Netanyahu’s office has outlined.

“The IDF will prepare to take control of Gaza City while providing humanitarian aid to the civilian population outside the combat zones,” it said.

1. Disarmament of Hamas.
2. Return of all hostages - both living and dead.
3. Demilitarization of the Gaza Strip.
4. Israeli security control over the Gaza Strip.
5. The existence of an alternative civilian government that is not Hamas or the Palestinian Authority.

“An absolute majority of Cabinet ministers believed that the alternative plan presented to the Cabinet would not achieve the defeat of Hamas or the return of the abductees,” the statement concluded.

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NSW Premier Chris Minns has fiercely criticised Gareth Ward, the outgoing state MP and convicted rapist, for squandering parliamentary resources during the prolonged process to expel him from Parliament.

Ward officially stepped down just over an hour before Parliament was set to vote on his removal, after earlier attempting to obtain a court injunction to retain his seat.

“We believe this resignation should have come earlier, and the circumstances relating to it meant that a lot of time, effort and energy was spent in the NSW Supreme Court proving what most people who live in this state would have known instinctively, and that is that if you’re convicted of some of the most serious charges (of) sexual assault in NSW, you can’t sit as a serving member of parliament, drawing a parliamentary salary,” Mr Minns said at a press conference on Friday.

“How can you represent your community from behind bars in Cessnock?”

Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie has questioned how the Albanese Government would allow someone who celebrated the October 7, 2023 terrorist attack which sparked the Gaza conflict into the county.

“She shouldn’t be allowed in. On what planet do we think it’s okay?,” Ms McKenzie questioned.

“Importing values which are sympathetic to the horrific actions of Hamas on October 7, and it’s actually against building a cohesive society.”

It comes after Shadow Home Affairs Minister Andrew Hastie labelled the decision “yet another immigration failure by the Albanese Labor Government”.

“If a visa has been granted, Tony Burke must immediately explain why, under his watch, an individual who celebrated the October 7 terrorist attack has been allowed to enter our country,” Mr Hastie said.

The leader of the NSW Legislative Assembly, Ron Hoenig, has spoken following Gareth Ward’s resignation.

“Not in 107 years has this House been required to expel a member. And the fact that we were about to make such a determination is a pretty shameful exercise and should have been done following the verdict by the jury,” he said.

“Because the failure of the former member for Kiama to respect the verdict of the jury, who convicted him for serious sexual offences, demonstrated not only lack of respect to the jury of his peers, this House and the traditions of this House, but to the people of Kiama, who had entrusted them to be able to properly represent them.”

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has demanded answers after a Palestinian woman who praised Hamas attack on Israel was granted an Australian visa.

Mona Zahed had thanked Allah for keeping her alive long enough to witness Hamas’s October 7 terrorist attack on a music festival — where more than 1200 people were slaughtered and 250 hostages seized.

She had rejoiced in an Instagram post which included a photo of panicked, fleeing festival-goers: “Praise be to Allah who has kept us alive to see this day” and “we always see you well”.

A spokesman for Minister Burke on Friday issued a statement after her visa approval made headlines across Australia, confirming he had questioned the Department of Home Affairs about Ms Zahed’s visa status.

“This is a serious issue. The Government is taking it seriously, questions were put to the department as soon as the Minister’s office became aware,” the Labor minister’s office stated.

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