COMMENTARY: By Martyn Bradbury, editor of The Daily Blog
Winston Peters says Israel’s actions getting ‘out of hand’ ahead of planned Rafah offensive
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has joined with the leaders of Australia and Canada to express grave concern about Israel’s planned ground offensive into the southern Gazan city of Rafah.
It’s the strongest statement from New Zealand yet as the number of people killed in the conflict continues to climb.
- READ MORE: Israel’s war on Gaza live: Israel rejects international ‘dictates’, says Netanyahu
- Pressure builds on Israel to ditch Rafah offensive as ministers gather in Munich
- Other war on Gaza reports
New Zealand, Canada and Australia’s weak tantrum against Israel’s ethnic cleansing war crime is simply too little too late.
Israel’s attacks on Gaza have killed at least 28,663 Palestinians and wounded 68,395 since October 7.
The death toll in Israel from the October 7 Hamas-led attacks stands at 1,139.
The disproportionate violence here is beyond appeals from “friends”.
Pictured is Winston gland handling the Israeli Ambassador earlier this week.
Petty protest belittles NZ mana
New Zealand’s petty attempts to protest Israel’s ethnic cleansing war crime has belittled our mana and our moral high ground.
We are refusing to do what is required to against this appalling level of violence, and because we are cowards, this coalition government shames us all.
According to Newshub: “Rafah, usually a city of 250,000, now has an estimated 1.5 million Palestinians sheltering there, but Israel is planning a ground offensive.
“So they must flee — back to bombed out buildings — with ruins now perhaps safer.”
The quoted joint statement by New Zealand, Canada and Australia said:
“A military operation into Rafah would be ‘catastrophic’ and ‘devastating’.
“We urge the Israeli government not to go down this path. There is simply nowhere else for civilians to go.
“There is growing international consensus. Israel must listen to its friends and it must listen to the international community.”
“Palestinian civilians cannot be made to pay the price of defeating Hamas.”
Republished from The Daily Blog with permission.
