Govt targets extremists of Hamas and Israel
The Government has officially designated Hamas a “terrorist entity” and at the same time placed travel bans on Israeli settlers, admonishing the extremes of both sides of the Israel-Hamas conflict that is decimating Gaza.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters announced on Thursday afternoon the Government had moved to designate Hamas in its entirety – not just its military wing – as a terror entity under New Zealand law. The designation means that anyone who recruits or provides material support to Hamas could be prosecuted.
Alongside this, the Government has moved to place travel bans on extremist Israeli settlers who have attacked Palestinians in West Bank. Who and how many settlers was not initially disclosed.
New Zealand has long been opposed to the Israeli settler movement, which it deems illegal, and the travel bans follow similar action by the United States earlier this year.
“New Zealand is seriously concerned by the significant increase in extremist violence perpetrated by Israeli settlers against Palestinian populations in recent months. This is particularly destabilising in what is already a major crisis,” said Luxon in a statement.
Peters said the bans applied to “a number of people known to have committed violent acts” that were undermining peace in the region.
‘‘Settlements undermine the prospects for a viable two-state solution. Recent statements by some Israeli ministers about plans for further settlement construction are of serious concern and will raise tensions further between Israelis and Palestinians.”
Peters also said the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 reinforced that New Zealand could “no longer distinguish between the military and political wings of Hamas”. New Zealand had designated Hamas’ military, but not its political wing, a terror entity in 2010.
Luxon said the designation of Hamas was “not a reflection on the Palestinian people in Gaza and around the world”.
“This designation targets Hamas, not the provision of private humanitarian support to Palestinian civilians. Similarly, the designation does not stop New Zealand providing humanitarian and future development assistance to benefit civilians in Gaza, nor does it stop us providing consular support to New Zealand citizens or permanent residents in the conflict zone.”