PM says suffering in the Middle East can’t continue – but it can and probably it will
The Government has again appealed for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was considering his retaliatory options after hurrying home from the US and issuing a stern warning to Hezbollah.
Israeli’s security Cabinet authorised him and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant to decide how and when to respond after a rocket killed 12 children on a soccer field in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights on Saturday.
Israel has blamed the Hezbollah militant group for the attack while the latter, in a rare move, has denied its responsibility.
The rocket assault has raised fears of a broader regional war between Israel and Hezbollah with Netanyahu pledging that Hezbollah “will pay a heavy price for this attack, one that it has not paid so far.”
The statement from Prime Minister Christopher Luxon – made jointly with the leaders of Australia and Canada – emphasises the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza while also addressing the risk of expanded conflict between Hezbollah and Israel.
It said:
“The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue.”
It can continue, of course, and most likely it will, so long as Netanyahu is influenced by the extremists in his coalition government rather than by the clamour for a ceasefire from world leaders.
The statement from the Commonwealth prime ministers was among four new ones posted on the government’s official website over the weekend:
Israel has blamed the Hezbollah militant group for the attack while the latter, in a rare move, has denied its responsibility.
The rocket assault has raised fears of a broader regional war between Israel and Hezbollah with Netanyahu pledging that Hezbollah “will pay a heavy price for this attack, one that it has not paid so far.”
The statement from Prime Minister Christopher Luxon – made jointly with the leaders of Australia and Canada – emphasises the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza while also addressing the risk of expanded conflict between Hezbollah and Israel.
It said:
“The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue.”
It can continue, of course, and most likely it will, so long as Netanyahu is influenced by the extremists in his coalition government rather than by the clamour for a ceasefire from world leaders.
The statement from the Commonwealth prime ministers was among four new ones posted on the government’s official website over the weekend:
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Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel.
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In their statement which addresses the crisis in the Middle East, the prime ministers of New Zealand, Australia and Canada said:
“We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of Hamas for the atrocities of October 7 and ongoing acts of terror. Hamas must lay down its arms and release all hostages. We see no role for Hamas in the future governance of Gaza.
“Israel must listen to the concerns of the international community. The protection of civilians is paramount and a requirement under international humanitarian law. Palestinian civilians cannot be made to pay the price of defeating Hamas. It must end.
“An immediate ceasefire is needed desperately. Civilians must be protected, and a sustained increase in the flow of assistance throughout Gaza is needed to address the humanitarian situation.
“We fully stand behind the comprehensive ceasefire deal, outlined by President Biden and endorsed by the UN Security Council. We call on parties to the conflict to agree to the deal. Any delay will only see more lives lost.”
The three prime ministers said they were committed to working towards an irreversible path to achieving a two-state solution, where Israelis and Palestinians can live securely within internationally recognised borders.
“This is the only realistic option to achieve a just and enduring peace.”
The prime ministers called on Israel to respond substantively to the ICJ’s advisory opinion, and ensure accountability for ongoing acts of violence against Palestinians by extremist settlers, reverse the record expansion of settlements in the West Bank which are illegal under international law, and work towards a two-state solution.
“We are gravely concerned about the prospect of further escalation across the region. We condemn Iran’s attack against Israel of April 13-14, call on Iran to refrain from further destabilizing actions in the Middle East, and demand that Iran and its affiliated groups, including Hizballah, cease their attacks. We also condemn the Houthis’ ongoing reckless acts, including their indiscriminate drone attack in Tel Aviv and ongoing attacks on international shipping.
“We are particularly concerned by the situation along the Blue Line, including the escalation of hostilities and rhetoric between the terror group Hizballah and Israel. It has led to the displacement of thousands of Israelis along the northern border and thousands of Lebanese along the southern border. Further hostilities put tens of thousands of civilians in Lebanon and Israel at risk.
“This escalation in hostilities only makes a ceasefire in Gaza more urgent. We urge all involved actors to exercise restraint and de-escalate. We support diplomatic efforts to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1701. A wider scale war would have disastrous consequences for Israel and Lebanon, and for civilians across the region.”
In his statement on his meetings in Laos, Winston Peters said the Association of South East Asian Nations Ministerial meetings have been an opportunity to engage with a wide range of partners on critical issues impacting our region.
“We reiterated our concern about the situation in Myanmar, tensions in the South China Sea, terrorism, transnational crime and threats to the international rules-based system.”
Peters also held bilateral talks with ministerial counterparts from Laos, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Singapore, Norway, India, Philippines, Thailand, and the United Kingdom, as well as the ASEAN Secretary General.
Point of Order is a blog focused on politics and the economy run by veteran newspaper reporters Bob Edlin and Ian Templeton
2 comments:
ICJ ? Why not say International Court of Justice . We could be mistaken and enter the wrong hive.
Well that will strike the fear of God into them. Luxon and a couple of others stamping their feet.
Maybe sort out his own country before it devolves into a similar racial seperation. Or is that in the to hard basket.
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