In Sydney, 5000 people at Moore Park called for the return of the 240 Hamas-held Israeli hostages, while tens of thousands gathered at Hyde Park in support of Palestinians and a ceasefire in Gaza.
NSW Police said it deployed large numbers of officers, but there were no arrests and no incidents.
Pro-Palestine marchers also rallied in Melbourne, starting at the State Library Victoria.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong delivered a message to both sides.
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“We all want to take the next steps towards a ceasefire, but it cannot be one-sided. Hamas still has hostages,” she told the ABC’s Insiders.
She had another message for Australia.
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“We cannot allow this conflict to divide us. We have to remember each other’s humanity, we have to remember that we are all Australian,” she said.