Albanese Cautions Against ‘Propaganda’ After Hamas Appears to Dispute Alleged Praise of PM

The prime minister said the international community is united in isolating the terror group.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks during a press conference at Taramea in Queenstown, New Zealand, on Aug. 9, 2025. Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has warned about Hamas propaganda after his government was allegedly praised by co-founder Hassan Yousef.

The officially-registered terror network is alleged to have welcomed the Albanese government’s decision to officially recognise a Palestinian state on Aug. 11.

However, Hamas have now said—via a Telegram channel—that its co-founder, Yousef, is in prison and could not have made the statement.

Speaking in Brisbane on Aug. 14, the Australian prime minister pointed to recent statements from Hamas and reiterated that the group did not want a two-state solution.

“What they want is one state. And I noticed in the statement that’s made today, they say that the alleged statement from the person yesterday is someone who’s been in prison in Israel since October 2023 and has no means of communication,” Albanese said.

“What that should be is a warning to the media of being very careful about the fact that Hamas will engage in propaganda. Because what is happening is the international community are united about isolating Hamas, about supporting a peaceful way forward.”

The prime minister also responded to criticism from the opposition and others that he was giving the terror group a propaganda victory.

“They shouldn’t repeat Hamas’s propaganda because it is Hamas which will engage in propaganda because they are being isolated,” he said.

“Because the world is horrified by the events of Oct. 7 and the world condemns and says, including the Arab League, has said that Hamas must be isolated, it must be disarmed, the hostages should be released and have condemned what occurred on Oct. 7.

“So I won’t be a cheer squad for Hamas and for its statements.”

The Sydney Morning Herald has since put out a statement saying they received the comment from Yousef’s office in the West Bank, which can speak on behalf of the co-founder. A further inquiry on Aug. 14 from the publication saw the office confirm the statement’s release.

Meanwhile, Albanese said everyone in Australian politics should be a part of efforts to isolate Hamas, while reiterating support for a two-state solution.

“People who look at Gaza can’t just continue to say we‘ll just keep doing more of the same. We’ll keep having more attacks, the hostages haven’t been released. We need to isolate Hamas, but we do need to find a way forward,” Albanese said.

The Israel-Hamas war was sparked by a surprise attack on Oct. 7, 2023 targeting Israeli civilians, which saw 1,200 Israelis killed and 250 hostages captured.

In response, Israel has taken military action against Hamas targets in Gaza, resulting in 61,000 deaths, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.

Australia’s decision to recognise a Palestinian state came after similar decisions by left-wing leaders in  Canada, France, and the UK ahead of a major U.N. meeting.

“A two-state solution is humanity’s best hope to break the cycle of violence in the Middle East, and to bring an end to the conflict, suffering, and starvation in Gaza,” Albanese said on Aug. 11.

Despite momentum among some Western nations for Palestinian statehood, the United States has veto power at the U.N. Security Council as one of its five permanent members.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance said on Aug. 8 the Trump administration currently has “no plans to recognise a Palestinian state.”

Labor’s Decision Not Welcomed by All

The prime minister’s words have drawn some criticism.

Israeli Ambassador to Australia Amir Maimon accused Albanese of being selective in calling out Hamas.

“Calling out Hamas propaganda is right. Doing it only when it suits politics is not. Hamas always lies: about casualty numbers, about hiding in hospitals and schools, and about who really puts Gazans at risk. Truth is not selective,” Maimon said on X.

Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Sussan Ley criticised Albanese on his foreign policy.

“When you have terrorists cheering on your foreign policy, you know that you have got it wrong. Now, we know that the prime minister said he made this decision because Hamas did not support it,” she told reporters in Adelaide on Aug. 14.

Ley called on Albanese to overturn his position.

“Hamas did not support his decision, but instead we see Hamas coming out in full-throated praise of the prime minister. He must reverse this decision because when terrorists are cheerleaders for your foreign policy, you need to think again and reverse that position.”