New Zealand has joined a group of countries in banning two senior Israeli ministers from entering the country, citing their actions as undermining peace and security in the Middle East.

Foreign Minister Winston Peters confirmed the travel bans on Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. The move aligns New Zealand with Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and Norway.

Peters said the decision was not directed at the Israeli people or the broader Israeli government.

“Our action today is not against the Israeli people, who suffered immeasurably on October 7 and who have continued to suffer through Hamas’ ongoing refusal to release all hostages,” he said.

“Rather, the travel bans are targeted at two individuals who are using their leadership positions to actively undermine peace and security and remove prospects for a two-state solution.”

Peters said both Smotrich and Ben-Gvir had deliberately damaged prospects for peace by advocating for the annexation of Palestinian land, expanding illegal settlements, and inciting violence and forced displacement.

“New Zealand is a long-standing supporter of the two-state solution,” he said. “New Zealand’s consistent and historic position has been that Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories are a violation of international law. Settlements and associated violence undermine the prospects for a viable two-state solution.”

Peters said today’s targeted sanctions were in line with New Zealand’s broader foreign policy, which has previously included travel bans on politicians and military leaders from countries such as Russia, Belarus and Myanmar for similar conduct.

He said the crisis in Gaza had made the need to return to a meaningful political process “all the more urgent” and that New Zealand would continue to push for an end to the current conflict and a restart of the Middle East peace process.