Israel-Hamas war: Thousands rally in Auckland’s Aotea Square

Rallies have been held across the country today, including at Auckland’s Aotea Square where thousands of people showed up calling for an immediate ceasefire as the conflict in Gaza rages on.

Earlier this week New Zealand called for ”a pause” in fighting between Israel and Hamas to create safe areas for civilians and to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza.

But the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa, the group that organised today’s rallies, wants the Government to go further and call for a ceasefire.

Several thousand people demonstrated in Aotea Square today. Photo / Sylvie Whinray

The rallies were held in locations including Hamilton, Christchurch and Dunedin, as well as a march from Wellington’s Te Ngākau Civic Square to Parliament.

Tears were shed by some who attended the events as crowds chanted in the streets holding placards and flags.

Following a New Zealand statement to the United Nations Security Council in New York, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said on Wednesday: “New Zealand is calling on all parties involved to act in accordance with international law, and also demonstrate basic humanity.

“We call on all parties to the conflict to commit to a humanitarian pause and for Israel and Egypt to use a cessation of hostilities to rapidly facilitate unimpeded humanitarian assistance to civilians living in Gaza.”

Image 1 of 13: The demonstrators marched along Queen Street. Photo / Sylvie Whinray

The war sparked by Gaza’s Hamas rulers’ surprise attacks on Israel on October 7 has also been playing out in the vast hall of the 193-nation General Assembly, where Arab nations were expected to adopt a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza after the Security Council’s four failed attempts to agree on any action, the Associated Press (AP) has reported.

Several thousand people demonstrated in Aotea Square. Photo / Sylvie Whinray

At the assembly’s resumed emergency special session on Israeli actions in the Palestinian territories Thursday, speaker after speaker backed the Arab resolution’s ceasefire call — except for Israel’s UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan, who told the world body “a ceasefire means giving Hamas time to rearm ... so they can massacre us again”.

After quoting several Hamas statements vowing to destroy Israel and the Jews, he said: “Any call for a ceasefire is not an attempt at peace. It is an attempt to tie Israel’s hands, preventing us from eliminating a huge threat to our citizens.”

The Hamas attacks killed some 1400 Israelis, meanwhile more than 7000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s retaliatory airstrikes, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.