Source: Palestinian Solidarity Network Aotearoa – PSNA
PSNA is calling for government accountability to stop and punish New Zealanders going to fight in Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza.
A UK report by Classified, from official Israeli sources, shows 39 dual New Zealand/Israeli citizens, and 11 others with more than one additional passport, are serving in the Israeli Defence Force, which is carrying out genocide in Gaza. (The full dataset is in Hebrew at the foot of the article at this link)
“The news that New Zealanders are participating in ongoing mass killing and starvation of Palestinians in Gaza is abhorrent,” says Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa Co-Chair Maher Nazzal. “Our government must do what it can to stop these New Zealanders perpetrating genocide.”
“Israel’s political and military leaders are charged with war crimes by the International Criminal Court. Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu, for example, is wanted for trial on war crimes and crimes against humanity.”
“As well as killing perhaps hundreds of thousands and wholesale starvation of Palestinians in Gaza, Israel is still systematically destroying all civilian infrastructure: schools, hospitals, churches and mosques, farmland and crops. Even New Zealanders’ graves in World War One cemeteries are not immune.”
“There’s no excuse for anyone fighting for a state committing genocide” says Nazzal. “Our government must step in and rigorously investigate the actions of each and every one of these 50 New Zealanders in the IDF.”
“New Zealand has obligations under the international Genocide Convention to do what it can stop a genocide. New Zealand charged Mark Tayor for membership of ISIS in 2004. There is ample precedent. The government must be consistent.”
“All of these New Zealanders serving in the IDF have various degrees of culpability in the genocide, certainly the moment they set foot in Gaza. But they would also be liable for actions at military facilities inside Israel, fuelling up bombers, for example, or calculating missile coordinates.”
“These soldiers must be identified, and their service in Israel’s army examined, alongside their social media accounts and those of the brigades and soldiers they joined.”
“The government must also collaborate with international agencies for evidence of how many of these people have already been identified for investigation of war crimes.”
“The Hind Rajab Foundation is working to identify specific Israeli war criminals for referral to the International Court of Justice,” says Nazzal.
New Zealand law does not specifically prohibit citizens from fighting overseas. But the government must act in this case, where New Zealand citizens are participating in a genocide, and also under our Fourth Geneva Convention obligations, where these New Zealand citizens are also enforcing an illegal occupation of Palestinian Territory.
“Despite the so-called October 2025 ceasefire, Israel has continued its daily killing of Palestinians, destruction of infrastructure and occupation creep. Israel still refuses to allow the agreed amount of food, water and humanitarian supplies to enter Gaza.”
“Here is a case of direct responsibility by New Zealand citizens, about which the government can’t wash its hands and ignore.”
Maher Nazzal
Co-Chair PSNA
