Source: Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA)
PSNA is pleased a temporary ceasefire agreement has been reached over the war on Gaza because it will bring some immediate relief to the Palestinian people from Israel’s genocidal campaign against them.
The scale of the humanitarian crisis is overwhelming and the almost total destruction of all civilian infrastructure in Gaza by Israeli forces – including virtually all medical facilities in Gaza – has meant the death toll, while officially at over 46,000, is likely to be 40% higher according to the British medical journal, The Lancet.
Most of those killed by Israel have been women and children according to the United Nations.
We remain deeply worried the temporary ceasefire will not become permanent because the far-right government of Benjamin Netanyahu, who is sought for trial on war crimes charges, will find a pretext to restart the war for the political survival of his government and its undeclared goal of establishing a “Greater Israel” across the region.
It’s important to point out the ceasefire has been necessary for Israel because it has failed in its aims to destroy Palestinian resistance groups such as Hamas and ethnically cleanse Gaza for Israeli settlements. Palestinian resistance groups have prevented this occurring.
For over 15 months most world leaders, including New Zealand’s, have stood silently by, wringing their hands and refusing to sanction Israel’s genocide or its 77-year history of massacres, ethnic cleansing, apartheid policies, theft of Palestinian land and military occupation. Israel’s military occupation of Palestine was declared illegal by the International Court of Justice on 19 July 2024.
The New Zealand government’s inaction in the face of genocide will leave an indelible stain on this country but from here on the government can play a positive role. The two immediate steps the government should take are to implement sanctions against Israel for genocide and to insist that Palestinians in Gaza are able to elect their own representatives for the administration of the area rather than having US/Israeli imposed administrators.
PSNA will continue to build the international BDS movement here in Aotearoa New Zealand to build international pressure for the liberation of Palestine.
John Minto
National Chair PSNA
