The political argument came as federal electoral offices across the country were the target of pro-Palestinian protests involving bloodied replicas of Gazan corpses.
Those targeted included Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles and fellow Labor MPs Ged Kearney and Peter Khalil.
A swathe of protests have been held across the country since Hamas, which is a declared terrorist organisation in Australia, attacked Israel and killed 1200 people on October 7.
Since then, Palestinian officials say Israel has killed more than 12,000 in Gaza in a military operation seeking to destroy Hamas.
Cabinet minister Ed Husic, one of two Muslim ministers in the government, said too many Palestinians had died.
"I think the numbers absolutely are causing people deep concern. I have been worried for quite some time that Palestinians would shoulder the burden," Mr Husic told ABC TV on Wednesday.
"Hamas should be held to account. But I've got to say, 4000 children losing their lives, they are not Hamas."
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said his key concern was the rise of anti-Semitism in the community.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says Jewish Australians are fearing for their safety.
He has written to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese proposing a meeting with premiers and chief ministers to ensure greater social cohesion and crackdown on anti-Jewish behaviour.
"I fear that there will be a significant act within our country which will cause harm to people in the Jewish community, or the community more broadly, at a time when temperatures are rising," he told reporters.
In his letter, Mr Dutton said Jewish Australians feared for their personal safety.
"Many are scared to display religious symbols or wear religious garments and many Jewish Australians are so concerned for the safety of their children they are refusing to allow them to wear school uniforms which identify them as pupils of Jewish schools," he said.
A YouGov poll released in early November found a majority of Australians were in favour of a ceasefire.
Meanwhile, the Greens will move a Senate motion to observe a minute's silence in memory of the civilian lives lost in Gaza, as Israel's continued airstrikes and blockade on food, water, fuel and medicine fuel the growing death toll.Â
Greens Senator Jordon Steele-John has continued to push the government to call for a ceasefire in the region.
"Children and families have faced horrific death, injury and suffering. People in Gaza are experiencing relentless bombing, those that survive the bombing have increasingly limited access to electricity, food or water," he said on Wednesday.
"This cannot go on."
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