NZ Herald Morning News Update | Muriwai dune collapse. Protests in Tel Aviv over famine in Gaza. Alert over man propositioning teens in Christchurch.
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Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is preparing to face his usual Monday media circuit this morning after hitting out at Israel over the famine in Gaza.
Luxon on Sunday said he wanted to see Hamas release hostages and Israel to offer humanitarian agencies’ unfettered access to Gaza “to be able toget in there and provide the food they need to”.
He will be joining Ryan Bridge live on Herald NOW at 8.05am.
Yesterday, Luxon said, “90% to 94% of Gaza is absolutely destroyed”.
His comments responded to a report from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), an organisation backed by the United Nations, declaring half a million people – a quarter of the Palestinians in Gaza – were suffering from famine.
The group declared the situation “entirely man-made” owing to Israel’s obstruction of food entering the Gaza Strip.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has called on Israel to allow 'unfettered access' to Gaza for humanitarian agencies.
The report said any further delay to aid getting into Gaza “even by days” would “result in a totally unacceptable escalation of famine-related mortality”.
In response to the report, UN aid chief Tom Fletcher said the famine was entirely preventable. In remarks reported by the BBC, he said food could not get through to the Palestinian territory “because of systematic obstruction by Israel”.
Most United Nations countries have recognised a Palestinian state at the United Nations, but New Zealand and countries such as Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States have not.
This is set to change, with a raft of countries, including France, the UK, Canada, and Australia, making plans to recognise a Palestinian state.
Foreign Minister Winston Peters earlier this month initiated a government proposal to formally consider doing the same.
A decision will be made in September. If New Zealand opts to recognise a state, Peters will do so when the United Nations General Assembly meets in New York that month.
