Ministry Statements & Speeches:
Madam President
Aotearoa New Zealand welcomes the announcement that the parties have agreed to a ceasefire. Full implementation of this agreement will be vital in the coming days and weeks.
We are appalled by the civilian death toll and large number of casualties, particularly children, as a result of the conflict.
As we did in 2018 at the last Special Session on this matter we again call for an independent, impartial and transparent investigation into allegations of violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law.
Madam President the status quo remains untenable. The ceasefire presents an opportunity for the parties to relaunch a genuine political process towards a negotiated two state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We urge them to take this opportunity.
We stand ready to assist in any constructive way we can to support these efforts.
Thank you, Madam President