Hundreds of Australians have taken to the streets in protest of Donald Trump's proposed US takeover of Gaza, as the president doubles down on his widely-condemned plan.
Swarms of Palestinian flags were flying at the Sydney Town Hall on Friday night where speakers lashed Mr Trump's plan as "sickening", "utterly despicable" and as ethnic cleansing.
Mr Trump suggested the US should take over, own and redevelop the destroyed Gaza Strip while Palestinians are relocated elsewhere.
The White House had attempted to walk back the comments, before Mr Trump later repeated his vision to "take over" Gaza.
In Sydney, protesters held signs that read "Palestine is not for sale" and "our land and life is sacred", while others said the president's push signalled "an age of naked fascism".
Many focused their attention on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who has not condemned the US takeover proposal, but reiterated Australia's support for a two-state solution.
"Even I thought that surely, surely this cowardly Labor government must denounce plans to ethnically cleanse Palestinians from Gaza," Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi told those assembled.
"Anthony Albanese is helping Trumpian politics come to this country ... under Albanese, Labor has become a hollow shell that stands for nothing."
Palestine Action Group organiser Josh Lees said Trump's comments were sickening and an open call for ethnic cleansing.
"It does signal yet another terrible chapter in the entire history of Israel's oppression of the Palestinian people we have the US president openly saying these kinds of despicable things," he told the rally.
"You can use the word genocide ... that's not just what Trump is calling for, it's what has been happening in Gaza."
On Thursday, the prime minister was asked if he agreed with British counterpart Keir Starmer's declaration Gazans must be allowed to rebuild and return to their homes.
"What do you think a two-state solution is?" Mr Albanese said.
"We will continue to take our position, which is what we have done for a long period of time … it is a bipartisan position for a two-state solution."
Mr Dutton has described the president as a "big thinker and a deal maker", before later clarifying he still supported a two-state solution.
Opposition home affairs spokesman James Paterson said Mr Trump's push was "an idea that's evolving", adding "everyone agrees Gaza has to be rebuilt".
"The White House has made clear no US troops, no US money and no forced displacement of people from Gaza," he said.
"Everyone agrees that Hamas has no role in the future governance of Gaza, it's about how we achieve that."
Australia Palestine Advocacy Network president Nasser Mashni said the comments "legitimised" Mr Trump's plan and treated Gaza like a bargaining chip.
International law experts have suggested a US takeover of Gaza would not be legal as the use of force is prohibited.
Australian Jewish groups have widely rejected Mr Trump's proposal to relocate the Palestinian residents and argued their decision to stay or leave Gaza is theirs to make.
