US President Joe Biden announced on Friday Australia's involvement in the strikes which were launched in response to the Iran-backed group continuing to blockade international shipping lanes in the Red Sea in support of Palestine.
"Today, at my direction, US military forces — together with the United Kingdom and with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands —successfully conducted strikes against a number of targets in Yemen used by Houthi rebels to endanger freedom of navigation in one of the world's most vital waterways," he said in a statement."These strikes are in direct response to unprecedented Houthi attacks against international maritime vessels in the Red Sea — including the use of anti-ship ballistic missiles for the first time in history."
The federal government considered a request from the US to deploy a Royal Australian Navy warship to the region, but instead sent extra Australian Defence Force personnel to help with security efforts.
Meanwhile, former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce is urging the Albanese government not to back legal action accusing Israel of genocide.
Hearings have begun in The Hague as the International Court of Justice considers South Africa's genocide case against Israel for its actions in Gaza following the October 7 Hamas attack.
Mr Joyce said the government shouldn't support the case brought against Israel, before taking a swipe at South Africa for violence within its borders that amount to "basically a form of genocide".
"Hamas is not a country, it's a terrorist organisation and unfortunately, it has instigated a process," he told Sky News.
Barnaby Joyce is urging the government not to back legal action accusing Israel of genocide. (Mick Tsikas/AAP PHOTOS)
Independent senator David Pocock is calling on Labor to support the ICJ application, pointing to the "extraordinary scale" of human suffering and deaths of children, medical professionals and journalists.
More than 1200 Israelis were killed and 240 were taken hostage by Hamas, according to Tel Aviv officials.
More than 23,000 Palestinians have been killed, and half the territory's 2.3 million residents are at risk of starvation due to Israel's military action, according to the local health ministry and the UN.
In a statement, Oxfam said Israel's military is killing Palestinians at an average rate of 250 people a day, which "massively exceeds" the daily death toll of any other major 21st century conflict.
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