Premier Jacinta Allan has urged against "further division in Victoria" as fake corpses activists say mimic the bodies of dead children in Gaza were left at her Bendigo office.
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Bloodied dolls with missing limbs were dumped at the Mollison Street, Bendigo office and Deputy Premier Ben Carroll's Niddrie office overnight Tuesday, February 20.
"It is our responsibility to come together at this moment to support one another ... not drive further hurt in our community," Ms Allan told press on Wednesday.
Activist group No More Bodies in Gaza, who claimed responsibility, said the protest called on the state government to break ties with Israeli weapons supplier Elbit Systems.
"The tableaux laid at the offices are no exaggeration - they are modelled on the horrific footage coming out of Gaza," the group said in a statement.
"Elbit's weapons have been developed and 'field tested' against Palestinians for years."
Demonstration did not 'provide a pathway to resolution': Premier
More than 1200 people were killed and 240 others taken hostage when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, in what the Australian government has declared a terror event.
Israel's subsequent war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip had killed more than 27,000 Palestinians and wounded another 66,000 people, according to the local health ministry.
Ms Allan said she sympathised with activist's concern over the Israel-Gaza conflict, but that the the protest "under the cover of darkness" did not "provide a pathway to resolution".
"These sort of actions don't support anyone who is in distress in the Middle East. It only drives ... anxiety and anger in our local community," Ms Allan said.
A spokesperson for No More Bodies in Gaza said Elbit Industries, which the state government signed a partnership with in February 2021, provided Israel with the majority of some weapons categories used in Palestine.
"[Elbit] currently provides up to 85 percent of the land-based equipment procured by the Israeli military and about 85 percent of its drones," they said.
Office staff safety a priority
The protest comes after two incidents within a month where Ms Allan's office was vandalised by a separate group, with the most recent causing $4000 damage.
Ms Allan labelled the previous vandalism "disgraceful" and said it was committed by "faceless, violent cowards".
It was unclear if Ms Allan had plans to modify security measures at the Bendigo office.
"My first concern and priority is focusing on the wellbeing of my staff," Ms Allan said.
"They do a wonderful job supporting members of my local community ... and they deserve the right to a safe workplace."
