Sydney nonprofit worker Az Fahmi was once a dedicated volunteer for Australia's ruling Labor party, handing out pamphlets to get her local representative, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, reelected.

That all changed for the human rights activist following Israel's retaliation for an attack by Hamas militants in 2023, which has left the Gaza Strip in rubble, displaced millions and killed more than 50,000 Palestinians, according to Palestinian officials.

Ahead of a May 3 election, Fahmi is now campaigning to oust Burke over what she believes is his party's "dismal" response to the Muslim community's calls for the Australian government to support Palestinians in Gaza.