PM defends Penny Wong's decision not to visit October 7 sites

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says Foreign Minister Penny Wong is going to visit Israel and will speak to the family and friends of the hostages. Ms Wong touched down in Jordan at about 5am on Tuesday to begin her tour of the Middle East, which will include stops in Israel, the Occupied Palestinian Territories and the United Arab Emirates. The Foreign Minister has attracted criticism for deciding not to visit kibbutzim, which saw horrific violence during Hamas’ October 7 attacks. “Penny Wong is visiting Israel - she’s speaking to the family and friends of the hostages,” Mr Albanese said during a media conference on Tuesday. “Both those people who have been released but also the families who quite rightly want people released.”