Alon Roth: Israeli ambassador to New Zealand discusses confirmed ceasefire between Israel and Palestine

Israel's counting down the days to Hamas releasing hostages.  

Israel's Cabinet's signed off on a ceasefire deal for their return, as well as Israeli troops pulling back - and an end to hostilities.  

Ambassador to New Zealand, Alon Roth says hostages could be freed as soon as Monday. 

He told Heather du Plessis-Allan Israel's army is starting to uphold its part of the bargain.  

Roth says they are starting to pull back, which should take about 24 hours. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
There is celebration in the streets of the Middle East
as a Gaza Seaspile dea is taking another step towards
being completed. The Israeli Cabinet has now signed off on
the deal, which would bring an end to two years
of brutal war. Alon Roth, as the Israeli ambassador to
New Zealand and with US hirel.

Speaker 2 (00:14):
On good afternoon.

Speaker 1 (00:16):
Do we have any clearer idea yet of when the
hostages will be out.

Speaker 2 (00:21):
Here? No, but we know that in seventy two hours
they should be out. So I assume if we come
from now that on Monday. I mean, I hope that
we'll be released as soon as possible, but on Monday,
I hope that will be with us at loss.

Speaker 1 (00:38):
When do we start counting? Is it from now or
is it from when Trump signs the bit of paper
or from when the paper was signed on his behalf.

Speaker 2 (00:46):
I think it's from when the decision was taken. You know,
there was a commass decision and the Israeli government decision we,
for example, begin the immediate redeployment of the Israeli army.
The idea right now it's going to take something like
twenty four hours, so within twenty four hours. It has
to happen. But as you said, the most important thing

(01:07):
for us is the hostages, and this I do hope
that until Monday we will be it will be behind us,
and they will be in Israe Alan.

Speaker 1 (01:15):
And so your understanding of the sequence of events, is
it that the troops, the Israeli troops, withdraw to an
agreed place first and then the hostages are released.

Speaker 2 (01:24):
Yeah, yeah, it can be. It can be. You know,
it's twenty four hours and seventy two hours. It can
be in parallel. But they have seventy two hours to
release the hostages, and we will be redeploying ourselves in
twenty four hours. Well, to say truth, the redeployment, as
far as I understand, begins to happen.

Speaker 1 (01:44):
What do you know about these two hundred troops that
Trump is sending US troops he is sending to Israel.
Where will they be stationed? What are they going to do?

Speaker 2 (01:53):
No, this is something that is beyond my mandate and knowledge.

Speaker 1 (01:58):
Okay, now that pays struck and we were going to
work our way through these steps, would you be comfortable
with our government recognizing a Palestinian state?

Speaker 2 (02:07):
Now, I don't think so, and I think we have
people have to read the Trump Plan. Trumplin is saying
very clearly that first and foremost, the PA, the person authority,
should reform itself, should stop program like pay for a
slave that they're paying for the terrorists, are incitement in

(02:28):
the education system, recognizing as well as the Jewish state,
et cetera, et cetera. There are lots of conditions before
the discussion is going to begin, if at all. So,
I think that the decision that was taken by the
New Zealand government was the right one and I don't
see any reason to change it now.

Speaker 1 (02:48):
Alan, thanks for your time. I appreciated alone Roth Israeli
Embassadors to New Zealand. For more from hither Du plus
the Alan Drive, listen live to news talks. It'd be
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