'Insipid call for a tea break' - New Zealand fails to follow UN lead and call for ceasefire in Gaza
A statement released to the UN Security Council urges a humanitarian 'pause' to allow trucks of aid to reach the besieged population before an expected ground assault.
New Zealand’s government has failed to follow the United Nations' lead in calling for an immediate ceasefire in besieged Gaza and has instead followed US foreign policy.
A statement released on Wednesday to the United Nations Security Council by the caretaker government called for a “pause”, involving humanitarian corridors for water, food, fuel, medicines and other basics of life to get into the enclave, as well as designated safe areas.
News of the position has been heavily criticised by Palestinians in New Zealand, as well as rights advocates.
The coastal strip has been under total siege for over two weeks, with UN officials warning the 50 or so aid trucks that had entered Gaza from Egypt since last weekend were a drop in the ocean.
Hospitals are expected to run out of fuel-generated electricity on Thursday, 26 October as the health system faces complete collapse, while doctors report people are now presenting with signs of disease.
The statement was delivered by New Zealand's UN permanent representative, Carolyn Schwalger. Incoming prime minister Christopher Luxon had been consulted over the draft in line with Caretaker Convention.
“New Zealand is calling on all parties involved to act in accordance with international law, and also demonstrate basic humanity,” caretaker Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said in the statement.
“We call on all parties to the conflict to commit to a humanitarian pause and for Israel and Egypt to use a cessation of hostilities to rapidly facilitate unimpeded humanitarian assistance to civilians living in Gaza.”
Hipkins also called for the immediate and unconditional release of hostages in Gaza, held by Hamas after its fighters took around 200 people into the strip after its attack on Israeli military installations and settlements on October 7.
“We are appalled by Hamas’s brutality, their targeting of civilians, and the taking of hostages, which are in clear violations of international law,” he said.
Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta reiterated New Zealand’s support for Israel’s military reaction, while at the same time calling for a resumption of a peace process in the region, saying there can be no military solution to the conflict.
“New Zealand supports the right of Israel to defend itself against Hamas’s terrorist attacks, but the way it does so matters. It must abide by international law, exercise restraint, and prioritise the protection of civilians,” she said.
Israel has flagrantly broken international law and has indiscriminately killed civilians in a genocidal onslaught over the past 18 days in response to the Hamas operation, which killed approximately 1400 soldiers and civilians. The Palestinian health ministry says at least 5791 Palestinians, including 2360 children, have been killed in Gaza.
At least 103 Palestinians have been killed by settlers and military in the West Bank during the same period.
Israel ordered over 1 million residents – nearly half of Gazans – from the north to the southern end of the 140sq/mile strip as it prepares a ground assault, which is widely expected to lead to a significant increase in civilian deaths.
Israel officials have openly talked about Egypt opening its borders to Gaza’s 2.3 million population during the operation.
The New Zealand statement comes amid pressure after UN Secretary-General Antonia
Guterres criticised the displacement of Palestinians from north Gaza and said the Hamas attack “did not happen in a vacuum”.
“The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation,” Guterres told the 15-member UN Security Council. “They have seen their lands devoured by settlements. Their hopes for a political solution to their plight have faded.”
His comments led to Israel’s ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan threatening to deny UN officials visas and calling for Guterres to step down.
The UN chief has called for an immediate ceasefire to end “epic suffering” and acknowledged Gazans had been subject to collective punishment being under total siege. Collective punishment of a civilian population is a war crime.
Israel’s president Isaac Herzog had appeared to justify the crime after he claimed in a press conference on October 13 that there were no innocent civilians in Gaza. “It is an entire nation out there that is responsible,” he said, referring to the Hamas attack.
Russia, China, Arab nations, African and most Latin American countries have urged a ceasefire, while the US and its Western vassals have called for a pause in hostilities.
New Zealand’s diplomatic position has been strongly condemned by members of the Palestinian community and rights activists.
A Wellington-based Palestinian New Zealander, who did not want to be named for fear of reprisal, told In Context calling for a safe passage for supplies without urging a ceasefire was a joke.
"A pause from killing innocent people then resume the killing after feeding them? Is this acceptable for real human beings,” she said.
“A few hours ago, Israel bombed the only bakery in Almaghazi that had been supplied with flour earlier by the UN to supply thousands of displaced people. It's not about aid, it's about stopping the killing and destruction.
"For us as Palestinians outside our country, it is intolerable to see our people being bombed on the screens and watch the mainstream media only reporting them as numbers of dead and wounded and the governments are doing nothing but supporting those who are killing them."
Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa spokesperson John Minto called the formula of words “an insipid call for a tea break” from genocidal violence by Israel. He said New Zealand must follow the lead of the UN.
“How many more innocent children must be killed before New Zealand calls for a ceasefire?
“New Zealand has sat idly by watching as Israel rains death and destruction on Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
“With our silence our government has made us all complicit in the slaughter of innocents.”
He said New Zealand must not take a position of cowardly inaction.
However, the government’s position is further confirmation of its closer alignment with the US State Department and its erosion of independent foreign policy.
Former prime minister Helen Clark, who had previously called out the government for allowing Five Eyes securocrats to set policy regarding a push to join the AUKUS military alliance in the Pacific, took to social media to call for a ceasefire.
She tweeted on X: “#NZ has called for a pause in #Gaza conflict to allow humanitarian aid to reach besieged population which faces prospect of land invasion. Ceasefire needed for full aid access & negotiation of hostage release & regionally-backed processes for peace.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Mfat) was approached over whether it would consider sending the Israeli ambassador home if a Gaza ground invasion commenced resulting in further mass civilians casualties over the coming weeks.
A Mfat spokesperson said: “There is absolutely no reason to expel the Israeli Ambassador.
“We continue to liaise closely with the Israeli government including through the Israeli Ambassador in relation to developments in the conflict including on the status of any New Zealanders who remain in Israel.”
Te Pāti Māori co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer last week demanded the ambassador be expelled if Israel did not immediately implement a ceasefire and open safe humanitarian aid corridors for Gaza.