Greens Leader Christine Milne says the Abbott government's new strategy for restricting consular assistance to Australians abroad leaves too much room for interpretation and political motivation.

"Who decides what constitutes illegal or reckless behaviour? According to which country's laws? By what standards?" asked Senator Milne.

Greens Leader Christine Milne has expressed disappointment at a likely split within the Labor party, on the use of the UN accepted term ‘Occupied Palestinian Territories' for the illegal settlements built after 1967, which contravene the Fourth Geneva Convention.

The Labor party blocked a Greens-Xenophon motion calling on the Foreign Affairs Minister to publically acknowledge these facts.

Australian Greens Leader Christine Milne has spoken out against the increasingly weak position of the Abbott government regarding the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine over the occupied territories.

"This is an outrageous backdown by the Abbott government. It is inflammatory behaviour and at odds with the peace process," Senator Milne said.

"The use of the term ‘Occupied Palestinian Territories' is the accepted term used by the UN. The Israeli settlements built after 1967 are illegal. The settlements contravene the Fourth Geneva Convention.

The Australian Greens Leader, Senator Christine Milne, introduces a motion calling on the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister to increase pressure on Egypt to secure the release of Australian journalist, Peter Greste.

The Australian Greens are rejecting praise from a visiting member of the Rajapaksa family, saying it was not a "bold move" to withhold support from a UN war crimes investigation, but rather a shameful demonstration that Australia is appeasing the government in Sri Lanka to further Tony Abbott's domestic policies on asylum seekers.

The Australian Greens say Tony Abbott's cruel refugee policy and Operation Sovereign Borders condemns Australia to a deteriorated relationship with Indonesia.

"This is Tony Abbott in action. He is an embarrassment internationally and at home," Greens Leader Christine Milne said.

If we needed any more evidence that a large part of the Abbott government's foreign affairs agenda is motivated purely by domestic power games over refugees, we need look no further than the current session of the UN Human Rights Committee in Geneva.

A vote is due there tonight on a resolution endorsing an international investigation into war crimes and human rights abuses during the Sri Lankan civil war.