National leader and incoming Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says he has warned one of his senior MPs to be careful with his language regarding the conflict in the Middle East after an email was made public with Chris Bishop likening the actions of Hamas to the Holocaust.
Luxon has reiterated New Zealand's call for a humanitarian pause in Gaza, but said he hadn't seen any advice suggesting Israel isn't respecting international law.
Meanwhile Te Pāti Māori is calling for the expulsion of not just the Israeli Ambassador to New Zealand, but the US Ambassador until a ceasefire is implemented.
The conflict compelled New Zealanders to march on the weekend.
Our Government, in an awkward post-election limbo, has joined the United Nations' call for an immediate humanitarian truce, a move agreed to by both major political parties but in contrast with our security partners.
Luxon told AM on Wednesday morning that he supports Israel's right to defend itself.
"We absolutely condemn the attacks by Hamas, unprovoked barbaric terrorist attacks on Israel," he said.
"We defend Israel's right to defend itself but we expect all parties to be in compliance with international law and obligations."
One of his senior MPs took the defence of Israel a step further.
Bishop replied to an email: "Hamas terrorists butchered women and children in a rampage of violence and hate."
He goes on to describe some of the actions of Hamas and says, "such barbarity has not been seen since the Holocaust".
"I've spoken to Chris about it. It's strong language but there are strong emotions on all sides of this debate," he said.
Asked if the email was appropriate, Luxon said: "Well look my conversation with him is that, look I think you've got to be a bit more careful about that language."
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi is calling on New Zealand to take a stronger stance on Israel's actions.
He said it's been "very, very weak".
"When they say Israel has a right to defend itself, they don't have a right to defend themselves against 4000 children that have died, they don't have a right to defend themselves when you've got white phosphorous in densely populated areas. That is not self defence - that is genocide."
Luxon said he hasn't "seen any advice" to say Israel is not meeting its international obligations.
"But what I have seen is obviously concern with what we see on the TV and the images we all see."
Waititi is calling on the Government to demand an immediate ceasefire and expel both the Israeli Ambassador and the United States Ambassador until that demand is met.
"When we've got the deliberate targeting of hospitals, of schools, of residential areas, this must stop, this must stop. The US are behind the armament of Israel and absolutely I hold them just as accountable as Israel."
Newshub contacted the US Embassy about Waititi's call for their ambassador to be expelled, but they didn't want to comment.
