New Zealand must follow UN lead to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and an ICC investigation into war crimes
Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa
25 October 2023
Media Release:
New Zealand must follow UN lead to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and an ICC investigation into war crimes
Today the Secretary General of the United Nations called for an immediate ceasefire in the Israel/Gaza war and PSNA says New Zealand must follow suite.
“The Hamas attack [of 7 October] did not happen in a vacuum.
The Palestinian people have been subjected to decades of stifling occupation. They have seen their lands devoured by settlements. Their hopes for a political solution to their plight have faded.” He added: “The attacks of the Palestinian resistance do not justify Israel’s mass killing taking place in Gaza.”
“New Zealand has sat idly by watching as Israel rains death and destruction on Palestinian civilians in Gaza”, says John Minto, PSNA National Chair. “With our silence our government has made us all complicit in the slaughter of innocents.”
At least 5791 civilians have been killed to date which includes 2,360 children.
Israel continues its genocidal rhetoric against the people of Gaza with the Israel’s president Isaac Herzog claiming in a press conference that “there are no innocent civilians in Gaza”.
“How many more innocent children must be killed before New Zealand calls for a ceasefire?”
“We must follow the UN lead and demand an immediate ceasefire”.
“It is no excuse that we are transitioning to the new government. Both our current and future political leaders must together call for a ceasefire.”
The UN Secretary General has also stated the obvious when he says “clear violations of international law are taking place”.
New Zealand must also call for an immediate and fully funded investigation by the International Criminal Court into war crimes and crimes against humanity, including the crimes of genocide and apartheid.
This is no time for cowardly inaction. It’s time for a clear sane voice from the other side of the world to call for a halt to the killing.
John Minto
National Chair
Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa
0220850161
johnminto@orcon.net.nz
www.PSNA.nz
John Minto
John Minto
National Chair
Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa
New Zealand 0220850161
John Minto is also former National Organiser for HART (Halt All Racist Tours) which successfully campaigned to stop rugby contact between New Zealand and apartheid South Africa in the 1970s and 1980s.