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McGarin emphasized that Hamas bears significant responsibility for the ongoing humanitarian crisis and that criticizing Israel without addressing Hamas's role is one-sided. While acknowledging the horrific situation in Gaza, he pointed out that Australia's capacity to exert direct pressure on Hamas is limited. Instead, diplomatic efforts should focus on regional Middle Eastern countries, although McGarin recognizes that even these efforts may have limited impact. He stressed the importance of increased engagement with Israel, but cautioned that traditional "megaphone diplomacy"—public condemnations and verbal pressure—might not be effective in influencing Israel's policies significantly.