New Zealand will not recognise a Palestinian state at this time but remains committed to a two-state solution, Foreign Minister Winston Peters said.
“With a war raging, Hamas remaining the de facto government of Gaza, and no clarity on next steps, too many questions remain about the future state of Palestine for it to be prudent for New Zealand to announce recognition at this time,” Winston Peters said in a speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday.
“We are also concerned that a fochamasus on recognition, in the current circumstances, could complicate efforts to secure a ceasefire by pushing Israel and Hamas into even more intransigent positions," he added.
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said in Auckland on Saturday that "recognition of Palestinian statehood is a question of when, not if".
New Zealand's position is out of step with traditional partners Australia, Canada and Britain who all recognised a Palestinian state on Sunday. The move aligned them with more than 140 other countries also backing Palestinians' aspiration to forge an independent homeland from the occupied territories.
A handout from the New Zealand government on Friday said that it hoped to recognise a Palestinian state at a time when the situation on the ground offers greater prospects for peace and negotiation than at present.
New Zealand's opposition Labour Party criticised the decision and said it would put the country on the wrong side of history.
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New Zealand will temporarily permit fuel meeting Australian standards to be imported for up to 12 months, the government said on Monday, as it seeks to mitigate supply risks linked to the Middle East conflict and soaring prices.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 15th of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
New Zealand declared a state of emergency in Otorohanga on Saturday (14 February) after torrential rain caused severe flooding, power outages and evacuations.
Several people, including children, were reported missing in New Zealand's north island on Thursday after a landslide struck a coastal campsite amid heavy rain that caused evacuations of people to safety, road closures and widespread power outages.
One U.S. crew member has been rescued after two American warplanes were downed over Iran and the Gulf, as the search continues for a missing pilot, while President Donald Trump has given Tehran 48 hours to agree to a deal to end the war.
The U.N. Security Council is expected to vote next week on a Bahraini resolution to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and protect commercial shipping, diplomats said on Friday, amid opposition from China to any authorisation of force.
The U.S. rescued an airman missing from one of two warplanes downed in Iran, two U.S. officials said, as President Donald Trump and Israel stepped up pressure on Iran to open the strategic Strait of Hormuz or face attacks on energy facilities.
The family of the late Virginia Giuffre have urged King Charles III to meet survivors of sexual abuse during his upcoming state visit to the United States.
Senegal has taken steps to curb government spending by banning non-essential foreign travel for ministers, as rising global oil prices place increasing pressure on the country’s finances.
At least 70 people are missing and two bodies have been recovered after a boat carrying migrants capsized in the Mediterranean Sea, an Italian NGO said on Sunday (5 April).
Fuel leaked at Russia’s Baltic Sea port of Primorsk, while the NORSI oil refinery caught fire following drone attacks, Russian authorities said on Sunday (5 April).
The family of the late Virginia Giuffre have urged King Charles III to meet survivors of sexual abuse during his upcoming state visit to the United States.
British police have arrested a fourth person in connection with an arson attack on ambulances belonging to a Jewish community charity. The arrest took place at a London court on Saturday, where three other suspects were already appearing.
Senegal has taken steps to curb government spending by banning non-essential foreign travel for ministers, as rising global oil prices place increasing pressure on the country’s finances.
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