'A crime against humanity': Tensions flare in Senate estimates over Israel-Gaza conflict

It comes after Senator Wong on Wednesday called for a humanitarian pause on hostilities to allow food, water, medicine and other assistance to enter Gaza, saying "innocent Palestinian civilians should not have to suffer because of the outrages perpetrated by Hamas".

On Thursday, the federal government announced an additional $15 million in humanitarian assistance for civilians in Gaza and the West Bank to help address shortages of food, water and other essentials.

Humanitarian aid has been trickling into the war-torn enclave but international charity Oxfam says just 2 per cent of usual food supplies have been delivered to Gaza since Israel launched a retaliatory campaign on the territory in response to the deadly attack by Hamas militants earlier this month.

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Senator Steele-John said Israel had been denying the provision of water, food and medicine to 2.2 million people in the enclave, which he said was "a crime against humanity" and "a textbook definition of collective punishment".

"Will the government now clearly condemn the siege of Gaza by the state of Israel as a crime of collective punishment?" he asked.

Senator Wong said Senator Steele-John was making "assertions of political judgment not fact".

Last week, Labor MPs Ed Husic and Anne Aly told reporters civilians in Gaza were being "collectively punished" but a number of other federal Labor MPs had steered clear of using those words when questioned on the matter.

In estimates, Senator Wong reiterated the government's position, stating "we support Israel's right to defend itself".

"But from the beginning, we have also articulated the principles that we think should apply to Israel's actions.

"We have said civilian lives should be protected and international humanitarian law should be observed. There is clearly widespread suffering in Gaza ... and we know that Hamas, which is a terrorist organization, has burrowed itself into Gaza's population, so none of this is easy."

Acting chief counsel Marie-Charlotte McKenna said sieges were "not in themselves prohibited under international law".

"However international humanitarian law does provide for the facilitation of humanitarian assistance and Australia has called for safe and unimpeded access and for a humanitarian pause to allow life saving assistance to reach civilians affected by the conflict," she said.

Senator Steele-John then sought to draw Senator Wong on whether the government condemned "the commission of war crimes by the state of Israel upon the population of Gaza", stating a number of international human rights organisations had reached this conclusion.

Senator Wong said she understood the "politics of why you're trying to press this point".

"This is a tragically difficult situation," she said.

"We have sought to articulate a principled position because that is what Australia is. We are a country that argues for the protection of civilian lives. We are a country that argues for the observance of international humanitarian law.

"I have made clear overnight our view about the need for humanitarian pauses to enable assistance to be provided."

On Thursday, department officials said they were also continuing to provide consular assistance Australians in the Middle East and reiterated earlier advice against travel to Lebanon due to the volatile situation in the region, urging Australians there to leave the country.

There are an estimated 15,000 Australian community members in Lebanon but less than 400 people have so far registered with DFAT.

On Thursday, department officials said they had "every indication" Australians in the Middle Eastern country were not heeding their advice.