Foreign Minister Winston Peters has condemned the ongoing violence in Gaza and reaffirmed New Zealand’s support for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, saying the suffering inflicted on both Israelis and Palestinians must stop.
Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, Peters reflected on the situation in the Middle East, one month after his last ministerial statement when Israel and Iran were actively exchanging attacks and the threat of a wider regional war was imminent.
“Thankfully, the United States was able to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, and that wider regional war has, for the time being at least, been avoided,” Peters said.
Despite this, he said the situation in Gaza remained deeply disturbing.
He acknowledged the pain of Israeli families still grieving after the October 2023 Hamas attack and hostage taking, calling it heinous and immoral. At the same time, Peters strongly criticised Israel’s ongoing military operations in Gaza, saying the response had long ceased to be proportionate, reasonable or moral.
“We have the horror of more and more innocent Palestinian civilians starving, being deprived of their basic needs, and being killed every day,” he said.
Peters said the international community was united in its revulsion at the scenes in Gaza and said the suffering must come to an end.
“Too many lives have been lost. Too many people have been traumatised, polarised and embittered. Yet another generation of Israeli and Palestinian children is being born into a situation of insufferable conflict.”
He confirmed New Zealand had joined with foreign ministers from 27 other countries in releasing a joint statement demanding an end to the war.
The statement condemned Hamas for the continued detention of Israeli hostages and called for their immediate and unconditional release. It also condemned Israeli policies that have resulted in civilian suffering and called for compliance with international humanitarian law.
Peters said a negotiated ceasefire was the only path forward and had the support of a clear majority of both Israelis and Palestinians.
“Only a negotiated ceasefire offers the best hope of bringing hostages home and ending the immense suffering of civilians in Gaza.”
He said New Zealand had long supported a two-state solution and remained committed to diplomacy and negotiation.
“This Government has designated the entirety of Hamas as a terrorist organisation. We have also put in place travel bans against Israeli Ministers who have taken concrete steps to undermine the two-state solution by advocating illegal settlements and settler violence.”
Peters said New Zealand opposed any steps towards territorial or demographic change in the occupied Palestinian Territories and called for such actions to stop immediately.
He said the human toll of the conflict had been devastating for Israelis and Palestinians, for Jews, Muslims and Christians alike.
“Further bloodshed serves absolutely no purpose. It must stop.”
Peters said New Zealand would continue to support efforts by the United States, Qatar and Egypt to broker a lasting peace.
“Ultimately, what we must see is a political pathway towards peace for Israelis and Palestinians living securely side by side. Only then can this long-running cycle of conflict be brought to an end.”
He said the situation may seem hopeless, but the international community must continue working toward peace.
“New Zealand will continue to do what it can to support those efforts.”
