Winston Peters: Foreign Minister calls for ceasefire in Gaza amid escalating global pressure

Global condemnation of Israel is growing, over killing Palestinians and restricting aid.

New Zealand is demanding a lasting ceasefire in Gaza, along with dozens of other countries. 

Foreign Minister Winston Peters told the House the international community's united in revulsion over what's happening

Peters says having the European Union on board will build pressure - hopefully with success.

He explained it's brought on by frustration countries have long been engaged in helping with the humanitarian crisis - with still no solution. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Ever do for ce lf okay to the Middle East.
New Zealand has joined twenty seven other countries in a
joint statement condemning the killing of Gars and civilians and
called for an immediate ceasefire in Palestine. Statement was signed
by Foreign Minister Winston Peters. Winston, Hello, Yiado, is anything
actually going to change because of this joint statement?

Speaker 2 (00:18):
Well, it's a serious step up. We've got twenty eight
countries now and now the EU has joining us, so
it's starting to build. And let's so that this time
we're successful.

Speaker 1 (00:29):
You will seriously, is anything going to change? Though? As
long as the US, Winston, as long as the US
is in support of Israel, they're not going to stop,
are they.

Speaker 2 (00:39):
Look, Donald Trump has expressed very clearly here's other frustration
on what's going on. He made it as clearly as
clear as possible. We just hope that the pressure building
up now will see this come turn end. But remember this,
our master is still keeping those hostages they took on
the seventh of October. This would be be condemned as well.

(01:01):
It should be the prelude to this change. So it's difficult.

Speaker 1 (01:05):
Yeah, I understand that is Israel. Do you think pressing
ahead with its plans to clear the strip of Palestinians.

Speaker 2 (01:13):
I can't say that I don't know what their plans are.
I mean, there's a whole lot of information out there
in the ether which is not based on fact, not sound,
and we have the awfully cautious here to ensure that
our sources are better than some countries are.

Speaker 1 (01:28):
Haven't they said publicly that they're going to do this.

Speaker 2 (01:32):
No, some people have said in the Israeli Parliament that,
but that's not being the government's position.

Speaker 1 (01:37):
What do you believe?

Speaker 2 (01:40):
Well, and we're waiting, we're all trying to find out
what it all means. But what we want is the
strife in the death over now while we try and
help put back together some sort of peaceful solution.

Speaker 1 (01:54):
Okay, what is it that's brought on the statement?

Speaker 2 (01:57):
What in particular, well, what's in particular has brought it
on is the frustration that we're engaged in long periods
of helping out when this crisis inmanitarian crisis, and yet
there's no at the moment solution that appears obvious to
many of us. Stop the war and finalize this matter,

(02:18):
get around the peace table. But both sides in the
case of our mass not even now can seeing that
they should be giving those hostages back. This is the outrage,
and they're misusing so many Palestinians in their desire to
eradicate the state of Israel. This is both sides wrong story.

Speaker 1 (02:37):
Okay, let's say that your hope is your wish comes
true and there is sufficient public pressure to force some
sort of a stop to the fighting. How does that
play out?

Speaker 2 (02:48):
Well, hope it plays out where we have an opportunity
to begin with the two state solutions, which has been
out case across the political divide over decades. We've always
believed that we're not giving up on that solution.

Speaker 1 (03:01):
Yes, but what happens here, So let's say sufficient numbers
in the world say this is outrageous. Pressure is put
on Donald Trump to paul support for Israel. Is that
likely to happen?

Speaker 2 (03:13):
Well, I can't answer for the American people, and I
can't answer for the American government, but they are an
essential component of the solution. I agree.

Speaker 1 (03:22):
It can't happen without him, though, can it?

Speaker 2 (03:26):
Well, it should be able to happen without the United States.
So that's in much pressure we require now to happen.

Speaker 1 (03:31):
All right, Winston, thank you very much, Winston Peters, Foreign
ministerla

Speaker 2 (03:35):
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