Foreign Minister Winston Peters said New Zealand continues to urge the parties involved in Gaza to "seize this critical opportunity to end the conflict and implement the terms of the proposal fully". Photo / Ben Tomsett
Foreign Minister Winston Peters said New Zealand continues to urge the parties involved in Gaza to "seize this critical opportunity to end the conflict and implement the terms of the proposal fully". Photo / Ben Tomsett
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters says the United States has made “a serious step forward” amid efforts to end the conflict in Gaza.
Hamas, the Islamist militant and political group that has controlled Gaza since 2007, has agreed to discuss freeing hostages under US President Donald Trump’s ceasefire plan,prompting him to call on Israel to halt bombing “immediately.”
Trump’s 20-point proposal, backed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calls for a ceasefire, the release of hostages within 72 hours, Hamas’ disarmament and a gradual Israeli withdrawal, with Gaza to be run by a technocratic authority overseen by Trump.
Palestinians fleeing the fighting in Gaza City head south along the coastal road west of Nuseirat on the Gaza Strip in mid-September. Photo / Saher Algorra, The New York Times
Hamas welcomed parts of the plan, including technocrat rule, but rejected disarmament and insisted it must have a say in Gaza’s political future.
Taking to X(formerly Twitter), Peters signalled support for the plan.
“New Zealand welcomed the United States’ ‘Comprehensive Plan to End the Conflict in Gaza’ when it was first announced, and we are encouraged that Hamas has today agreed to release all the hostages,” he wrote.
“This is a serious step forward. We continue to urge the parties to seize this critical opportunity to end the conflict and implement the terms of the proposal fully. This disastrous conflict must end.”
New Zealand welcomed the United States’ “Comprehensive Plan to End the Conflict in Gaza” when it was first announced, and we are encouraged that Hamas has today agreed to release all the hostages.
Following the announcement, senior Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi told AFP the group welcomed Trump’s proposal, but called it “vague”, saying “we need clarification and confirmation through a negotiated agreement”.
In a post on his Truth Social platform shortly after Hamas’ announcement, Trump said he believed the group was “ready for a lasting PEACE”.
“Israel must immediately stop the bombing of Gaza, so that we can get the Hostages out safely and quickly!” he added.
On Friday, about 200 protesters gathered at Port Otago to condemn Peters’ refusal to recognise Palestine, describing his stance as “a moral failure” that left New Zealand lagging behind allies like Australia, Britain and Canada.
US President Donald Trump, pictured with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said he believed Hamas was "ready for peace" with Israel. Photo / Andrew Caballero-Reynolds, AFP
Palestinian New Zealanders said his UN statement denied their identity and undermined peace, while others accused him of complicity in genocide and vowed to disrupt his appearances until policy changes.
Organisers said the protest was driven by anger at ongoing bloodshed in Gaza and frustration that Peters’ position misrepresented New Zealand on the world stage.
Peters dismissed the demonstrators and defended the Government’s stance that recognition should only come once conditions for a two-state solution are realistic.
Ben Tomsett is a multimedia journalist based in Dunedin. He joined the Herald in 2023.
