New Zealand PM says Netanyahu has 'lost the plot'

WELLINGTON: New Zealand’s prime minister said Wednesday that Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu had “lost the plot”, accusing him of going too far in his efforts to wage war on Gaza.

“What’s happening in Gaza is utterly, utterly appalling,” said Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.

“Netanyahu has gone way too far. I think he has lost the plot,” added Luxon in unusually candid comments.

“He is not listening to the international community and that is unacceptable.”

Netanyahu recently rolled out plans to take control of Gaza City and wipe out Hamas, insisting it was “the best way to end the war” despite growing calls to halt the bloodshed.

UN-backed experts have warned of widespread famine unfolding in the territory, where Israel has severely restricted the entry of humanitarian aid.

Israel has faced mounting criticism over the war, which was triggered by Palestinian militant group Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel.

New Zealand on Monday hinted it could join the likes of Australia, Canada, France and Britain in recognising a Palestinian state.

“New Zealand has been clear for some time that our recognition of a Palestinian state is a matter of when, not if,” Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters said.

“Cabinet will take a formal decision in September over whether New Zealand should recognise a state of Palestine at this juncture — and if so, when and how.”