The leader of Australia’s main opposition party, Peter Dutton, has come under fire for calling on the government to ban the entry of Palestinian refugees from Gaza, Al Jazeera reports.

Independent legislator Zali Steggall, during a heated discussion in parliament earlier today, told the Liberal Party leader to “stop being a racist” and accused Dutton of trying to paint all Palestinians as “terrorists” and “not worthy of humanitarian aid”.

Members of the Australian cabinet and advocacy organisations also criticised Dutton, who called the ban due to the possibility of Hamas sympathisers entering the country, according to media reports.

Education Minister Jason Clare invited Dutton to his western Sydney electorate, where some 1,000 Palestinians from Gaza live.

“These are people who’ve had their home blown up, who’ve had their school blown up, who’ve had their hospital blown up, in some cases, have had their kids blown up,” Clare told reporters on Wednesday.