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Foreign Minister McCully Urges Restraint In Israel/Palestine
Foreign Minister Murray McCully Urges Restraint In Israel/Palestine
By Alastair Thompson
At the request of Scoop NZ Foreign Minister Murray McCully today made the following statement about the situation in Israel and Occupied Palestinian Territories.
"The recent killing of four young people in the West Bank and East Jerusalem is deplorable. Those responsible need to be held to account.
"These acts should not distract each country’s political leadership : we want to see progress in the peace process between the Israelis and the Palestinians.
"New Zealand urges both sides to show restraint in the aftermath of these incidents. "
Scoop's Gaza based correspondent Julie Webb-Pullman reports that Israeli armed forces have moved to the border of the Gaza strip and foreigners in the city are being notified by their Governments to leave immediately.
Earlier today some rockets were fired into Israel from the Negev desert and the Gazans expect this will result in further bombing of targets in Gaza City.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs earlier made the following statement about the safety of NZers present in the Gaza area.
"The current situation in Gaza is reflected in our travel advisory (https://www.safetravel.govt.nz/israel-and-occupied-palestinian-territories) which states:
"There is extreme risk to your security in the occupied Palestinian territory of Gaza (including the waters off Gaza). We advise against all travel due to the threat from kidnapping, acts of terrorism and retaliatory military operations.
"New Zealanders currently in Gaza are advised to depart as soon as it is safe to do so."
Scoop's Gaza correspondent Julie Webb-Pullman will be staying to cover the crisis as it unfolds on http://Gaza.scoop.ps.
ENDS
Alastair Thompson
Scoop Publisher
Alastair Thompson is the co-founder of Scoop. He is of Scottish and Irish extraction and from Wellington, New Zealand. Alastair has 24 years experience in the media, at the Dominion, National Business Review, North & South magazine, Straight Furrow newspaper and online since 1997. He is the winner of several journalism awards for business and investigative work.
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