The release of Israeli hostages is welcome but the killing of more than 270 Palestinians is a tragedy, a federal minister says, as both Israel and Hamas have been found to have committed war crimes.

Cabinet minister Ed Husic raised concerns about “a systemic failure” by Israel and its military to observe humanitarian law and the protection of innocent lives.

That so many people were killed in the operation highlighted a broader issue of how “the Israeli government is observing international humanitarian law and being able to distinguish between combatant and civilian”, he said.

“I’m very happy that hostages were released and they’ve been reunited with their families and friends,” Mr Husic told ABC Radio on Thursday.

But he said the death toll was “such brutal price” to pay.

“We want to see hostages released, but as I’ve said consistently, innocent Palestinians should not pay the price for holding Hamas to account,” he said.

Australia had a voice on the international stage and needed to use it to speak up about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Mr Husic said. 

Both Israel and designated terror group Hamas have been found to have engaged in war crimes, a United Nations inquiry found.

There were two parallel reports into Hamas’ killing of some 1200 Israelis and taking of some 250 hostages and Israel’s subsequent response.

But the “immense” scale of killings in Gaza, where the death toll stands at more than 37,000 according to the local health ministry, constituted a crime against humanity. 

Tel Aviv didn’t co-operate with the UN Commission of Inquiry and accused it of having an anti-Israel bias.

Australia’s foreign minister has been contacted for comment.

Penny Wong previously branded the suffering in Gaza unacceptable and called for the end of the war as well as the release of all hostages.

Senator Wong has also called on Israel to comply with international law and humanitarian obligations and for Hamas to play no role in Gaza’s governance.

Labor senator Fatima Payman, who has been outspoken on the crisis in Gaza and called for the government to take stronger action, said history was “replete with examples of women who broke the silence and sought freedom from the shackles of injustice and inequality”.

“We continue that plight for all womenkind, from Gaza to Australia,” she told AAP in a statement ahead of a panel discussion about silence on women’s equality.

Activist Sisonke Msimang hoped to shed light “on how Arab, Muslim, and African women have perceived the silence on Gaza from the mainstream women’s movement”.

“So far, those who normally speak out about gender injustice in Iran, Afghanistan, and many other parts of the world, have failed to condemn Israel’s assault on women who are being deprived (of) their rights,” she said.

“We have seen that unfortunately, those who have spoken out – Arab and Muslim women especially – have been vilified.”

The panel is being hosted by Creatives for Palestine WA on Thursday.

This post was originally published on Michael West.