Gaza aid ship intercepted and boarded by Israeli forces
conflict world 25 minutes ago
Middle East correspondent Jacob Brown spoke to Lisa Owen about an aid ship bound for Gaza that has been intercepted and boarded by Israeli forces, and Iran promising to unveil a 'treasure trove' of Israeli documents.
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RNZ News
8 hours ago
- RNZ News
United Nations to vote to demand immediate Gaza ceasefire over US, Israel opposition
By Michelle Nichols , Reuters Palestinians walk among the rubble of homes in Gaza, on March 17, 2025. Photo: AFP/MAJDI FATHI The United Nations General Assembly will vote on Thursday (local time) on a draft resolution that demands an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in the war in Gaza after the United States vetoed a similar effort in the Security Council last week. The 193-member General Assembly is likely to adopt the text with overwhelming support, diplomats say, despite Israel lobbying countries this week against taking part in what it called a "politically-motivated, counter-productive charade." General Assembly resolutions are not binding but carry weight as a reflection of the global view on the war. Previous demands by the body for an end to the war between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas have been ignored. Unlike the UN Security Council, no country has a veto in the General Assembly. Thursday's vote also comes ahead of a UN conference next week that aims to reinvigorate an international push for a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians. The United States has urged countries not to attend. In a note seen by Reuters, the US warned that "countries that take anti-Israel actions on the heels of the conference will be viewed as acting in opposition to US foreign policy interests and could face diplomatic consequences." The US last week vetoed a draft UN Security Council resolution that also demanded an "immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire" and unhindered aid access in Gaza, arguing it would undermine US-led efforts to broker a ceasefire. The other 14 countries on the council voted in favor of the draft as a humanitarian crisis grips the enclave of more than 2 million people, where the UN warns famine looms and aid has only trickled in since Israel lifted an 11-week blockade last month. The draft resolution to be voted on by the General Assembly on Thursday demands the release of hostages held by Hamas, the return of Palestinian prisoners detained by Israel and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. It demands unhindered aid access and "strongly condemns the use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare and the unlawful denial of humanitarian access and depriving civilians ... of objects indispensable to their survival, including willfully impeding relief supply and access." "This is both false and defamatory," Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon wrote in a letter to UN member states, sent on Tuesday and seen by Reuters. Danon described the General Assembly draft resolution as an "immensely flawed and harmful text," urging countries not to take part in what he said was a "farce" that undermines hostage negotiations and fails to condemn Hamas. In October 2023 the General Assembly called for an immediate humanitarian truce in Gaza with 120 votes in favor. In December 2023, 153 countries voted to demand an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. Then in December last year the body demanded - with 158 votes in favor - an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire. The war in Gaza has raged since 2023 after Hamas militants killed 1200 people in Israel in an 7 October attack and took some 250 hostages back to the enclave, according to Israeli tallies. Many of those killed or captured were civilians. Israel responded with a military campaign that has killed over 54,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities. They say civilians have borne the brunt of the attacks and that thousands more bodies have been lost under rubble. - Reuters
RNZ News
10 hours ago
- RNZ News
US announces review into AUKUS
world politics 24 minutes ago Australia correspondent Nick Grimm spoke to Lisa Owen about the United States announcing it will review the AUKUS security pact, putting Australia's multi-billion dollar nuclear submarine deal in a spot of difficulty.
RNZ News
15 hours ago
- RNZ News
NZ officials to attend UN conference on Israel-Palestinian conflict
Foreign Minister Winston Peters. Photo: Samuel Rillstone / RNZ New Zealand officials will attend a United Nations two-state solution conference in New York next week which the Trump administration is warning could have diplomatic consequences. The conference, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, will focus on a possible two-state solution between Israel and Palestinians. There are reports Donald Trump is discouraging governments from attending, and will view any anti-Israel actions as acting in opposition to US foreign policy interests. Reuters is reporting US President Donald Trump's administration is discouraging governments around the world from attending the conference. A US cable seen by Reuters said countries that take "anti-Israel actions" following the conference will be viewed as acting in opposition to US foreign policy interests and could face diplomatic consequences from Washington. The cable said the conference was "counterproductive to ongoing, life-saving efforts to end the war in Gaza and free hostages" and undermined ceasefire negotiations, Reuters reported. A spokesperson for Foreign Minister Winston Peters said ministry officials would attend the UN meeting. New Zealand has long supported a two-state solution and the establishment of a Palestinian state, but believed an immediate ceasefire and the provision of aid to help alleviate the desperate plight of an innocent civilian population remained the priority. The government's position continued to be that asserting statehood unilaterally would do nothing to alleviate the current plight of the Palestinian people, and might even impede progress. The United States this week denounced sanctions by Britain and allies, including New Zealand , against Israeli far-right ministers, saying they should focus instead on the Palestinian armed group Hamas. New Zealand banned two Israeli politicians from travelling to the country because of comments about the war in Gaza that Winston Peters says "actively undermine peace and security". New Zealand has also joined 23 other countries demanding Israel allow a full supply of foreign aid to Gaza .
