Embassy of Israel in New Zealand
Israel is currently experiencing a wave of large-scale terrorism, which is targeting major metropolitan areas throughout the country.
No country would tolerate such extreme terrorism and aggression against its sovereignty and citizens.
Israel has the right and the responsibility to defend its citizens.
Israel is committed to protecting its citizens against terrorist organisations and neutralizing terrorists and terrorist infrastructures in a precise and measured operation.
Hamas is a murderous terrorist organisation that is responsible for the death and injury of thousands of Israeli and Palestinian civilians. The Hamas Charter is an AntiSemitic document that endorses the murder of Jews solely on the basis of their religion. The organisation has been designated as a terrorist entity by many countries around the world – including the US and the EU – and the Hamas military wing is designated by New Zealand as a terrorist entity.
Hamas and terrorist organisations are committing a double war crime by indiscriminately firing at civilian population centres from within a civilian population.
Hamas deliberately situates its facilities in the heart of the civilian population, including within multi-story buildings that contain several military targets. Hamas uses the civilian population as a human shield and indiscriminately attacks population centers in Israel.
The Hamas terrorist organisation is working to seize control of the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian narrative, and is presenting itself as the “defender of Jerusalem and the holy sites”. These acts strengthen the forces undermining stability in all countries of the region – instability which is being orchestrated by Iran. The Hamas terrorist organisation is stoking the same kind of Islamist extremism that the entire Middle East experienced under ISIS.
Israel has taken de-escalatory steps that will prevent unrest and ensure the freedom of worship – stopping the entrance of Jews to the Temple Mount on Jerusalem Day (local holiday), changing the route of the Flag March, ultimately cancelling the Flag March, delaying the court hearing on the issue of Sheikh Jarrah (restraint in the face of rockets and 200 arson attacks in the south that were caused by incendiary balloon devices). These steps have been answered with rocket attacks on Jerusalem, the city Hamas claims to protect, and on cities across Israel.
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