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IDF board Greta Thunberg's aid ship and the end of 3G approaches

IDF board Greta Thunberg's aid ship and the end of 3G approaches

NZ Herald4 hours ago

Israeli forces board a Gaza-bound aid vessel and capture activist Greta Thunberg, plus Telcos prepare for 3G network's demise. Video / NZ Herald, AFP

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Palestine Forum Of New Zealand Calls For Safe Passage Of Madleen And Urgent Sanctions Against Israel
Palestine Forum Of New Zealand Calls For Safe Passage Of Madleen And Urgent Sanctions Against Israel

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Palestine Forum Of New Zealand Calls For Safe Passage Of Madleen And Urgent Sanctions Against Israel

The Palestine Forum of New Zealand strongly condemns the violent interception of the Madleen, a civilian aid vessel attempting to deliver essential humanitarian aid to the besieged people of Gaza, by the Israeli military. We demand the immediate safe passage of the vessel and call upon the New Zealand Government to urgently implement meaningful sanctions against Israel for its ongoing war crimes and illegal occupation of Palestine. 'The Madleen was carrying life-saving aid to a population enduring unimaginable suffering under Israel's illegal siege. Its interception is a flagrant violation of international law and a direct attack on humanitarian principles,' said a spokesperson for the Palestine Forum of New Zealand. The unlawful blockade of Gaza — now in its 18th year — has turned the region into what human rights organisations have described as the world's largest open-air prison. The systematic denial of aid, food, water, fuel, and medical supplies is part of Israel's ongoing campaign of collective punishment against the Palestinian people. Palestine Forum of New Zealand reiterates the following urgent demands: Immediate safe passage for the Madleen and all humanitarian vessels to Gaza. The New Zealand Government is to impose targeted sanctions against Israel, including an end to military, economic, and diplomatic cooperation. Support for the Unlawful Occupation of Palestine Sanctions Bill and pressure on Parliament to prioritise it for debate. Active support for international legal mechanisms, including the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court, to hold Israel accountable for its war crimes and crimes against humanity. 'Aotearoa cannot remain silent while innocent people are bombed, starved, and denied medical care. New Zealand has a proud history of standing on the side of justice — from opposing apartheid in South Africa to advocating for nuclear-free policies. It's time our government showed the same moral courage for Palestine,' the spokesperson added. The Palestine Forum of New Zealand stands in unwavering solidarity with the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the Madleen crew, and the people of Gaza. It will continue to amplify the call for justice, dignity, and the right of return for all Palestinians.

Israeli Attack On Gaza Aid Flotilla Is State Piracy, Genocidal Violence — New Zealand's Silence Is Complicity
Israeli Attack On Gaza Aid Flotilla Is State Piracy, Genocidal Violence — New Zealand's Silence Is Complicity

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time4 hours ago

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Israeli Attack On Gaza Aid Flotilla Is State Piracy, Genocidal Violence — New Zealand's Silence Is Complicity

Today, in a staggering act of violence and defiance of international law, the Israeli military attacked and boarded the Madleen, a humanitarian flotilla attempting to deliver food and medical aid to the people of Gaza. The vessel was in international waters, carrying aid workers, doctors, journalists, and supplies desperately needed by a population Israel has systematically bombed, starved, and displaced. This was not a military confrontation. It was the assault of an unarmed civilian aid ship by a state acting with total impunity. This is piracy, it is state terror, and it is a genocidal act of war. A regime engaged in genocide would send sends drones and armed commandos to detain civilians in international waters. We are witnessing the total moral collapse of a state, supported for years by Western Governments to act with utter impunity, violate our global legal system, morality and principles. No amount of spin or military propaganda can hide the cruelty of deliberately starving a population, targeting children, bombing hospitals and bakeries, and then violently stopping others from bringing aid. This attack on the Madleen not a separate incident — it is part of the same campaign to eliminate Palestinian life, hope, and survival. It is why the International Court of Justice has already ruled that Israel is plausibly committing genocide. This is not complicated. Israel has no legal authority in international waters. Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Israel's boarding of a civilian aid ship beyond its territorial waters is an act of piracy, unlawful kidnapping, forcible abduction and armed aggression. Under international humanitarian law, deliberately blocking aid to a population facing starvation is a war crime. Under the Genocide Convention, when a state intentionally denies food, water, and medicine to a population it is bombing and displacing, this constitutes part of a genocidal campaign. The silence of the New Zealand Government is no longer neutral, and it demonstrates a shocking lack of respect for international law, for human rights, and for the safety of global humanitarian workers. It reflects a broader decay in foreign policy — where selective outrage and Israeli exceptionalism undermine the credibility of everything New Zealand claims to stand for. We call on the New Zealand Government to: • Publicly condemn Israel's illegal assault on the Madleen and its passengers. • Demand the immediate release of all aid workers, journalists, and civilians abducted by Israeli forces. • Suspend all diplomatic, military, and trade cooperation with Israel until it complies with international law. • Support international accountability mechanisms, including referring Israel's crimes to the International Criminal Court and backing enforcement of the ICJ's provisional measures on genocide. This Has to Stop. This is not just a crisis in Gaza. It is a crisis of global morality, of international law, and of our basic shared humanity. We stand with the people of Gaza. We stand with the brave souls aboard the Madleen, and we demand an end to this madness before the world forgets what it means to be human. We need a government that stands for all that is right, not all that is wrong. Aid is not terrorism. International waters are not Israel's territory. And silence in the face of evil is complicity.

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