UNCLASSIFIED
New Zealand Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and Trade
Manatū Aorere
195 Lambton Quay
16 May 2025
Private Bag 18−901
Wellington 6160
New Zealand
T +64 4 439 8000
F +64 4 472 9596
John Wilson
OIA 30088
[email address]
[FYI request #30648 email]
Tēnā koe John Wilson
Thank you for your email of 7 April 2025 in which you request the following under the
Official Information Act 1982 (OIA):
“Please provide all communications, including but not limited to formal
communications, letters, emails, or diplomatic notes exchanged between MFAT
and Israel since 1 March 2025 regarding allegations of crimes against humanity
and war crimes committed by Israel.”
On 17 April 2025, you also requested the following under the OIA:
“1. Any official communications, briefings, or reports from the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and Trade (MFAT) regarding the abduction and detention of Dr. Hossam Abu
Safiya by Israeli authorities.
2. All communications between New Zealand and Israeli authorities concerning this
matter.
3. Information on New Zealand’s involvement in advocating for Dr. Abu Safiya’s
rights, including efforts to prevent torture and ensure due process.”
Regarding part one of your request, this information is refused under section 18(e) of
the OIA, as the information requested does not exist. New Zealand’s response to the
Israel-Hamas conflict, has, since 7 October 2023, been consistently grounded in the
upholding of international law, including international humanitarian law, alongside New
Zealand’s broader foreign policy, and we have repeatedly advocated within multilateral
institutions as well as bilaterally with Israel and the Palestinian Authority. New Zealand
has repeatedly advocated for all parties to abide by their obligations under international
law.
Regarding the second part of your request, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s
(the Ministry) advice to the Minister of Foreign Affairs on a piece of ministerial
correspondence falls in scope of your request. The text of the correspondence and the
Ministry’s advice on a draft reply letter is provided below. The details of the addressee
are withheld under section 9(2)(a) of the OIA, to protect individuals’ privacy.
UNCLASSIFIED
Page 2 of 3
Email received by the Minister of Foreign Affairs:
Dear Minister Peters,
I write to you with profound urgency regarding the arbitrary detention and inhumane
treatment of **Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya**, a 51-year-old Palestinian paediatrician and
Director of Kamal Adwan Hospital—the last major functioning medical facility in northern
Gaza prior to its destruction. Dr. Abu Safiya was arrested by Israeli forces during their raid on
the hospital on 27 December 2024, and his current condition and whereabouts remain
unknown, in blatant violation of international humanitarian and human rights law.
According to testimonies from released detainees, Dr. Abu Safiya was held at the Sde Teiman
military base before being transferred to Ofer detention facility near Ramallah on 9 January
2025. Both facilities are notorious for systemic mistreatment and torture of Palestinian
detainees. Dr. Abu Safiya has been denied access to legal counsel since his arrest, with his
detention unlawfully extended until 13 February 2025. This constitutes a grave breach of his
fundamental rights under the Fourth Geneva Convention and the United Nations Convention
Against Torture.
Dr. Abu Safiya’s case is emblematic of Israel’s systematic targeting of Gaza’s healthcare
infrastructure and personnel. This pattern is further exemplified by the death of **Dr. Adnan
Al-Bursh**, a prominent surgeon who died under torture in Israeli custody after four months
of arbitrary detention. Such actions not only exacerbate Gaza’s humanitarian catastrophe
but also erode the foundational principles of international law.
1. **Disclose all steps** taken by the New Zealand government to inquire into his detention,
treatment, and the broader destruction of Gaza’s healthcare system.
2. Please disclose whether you have **Requested urgent access** for Dr. Abu Safiya to legal
representation, medical care, and communication with his family?
4. Has New Zealand*Leveraged diplomatic channels**, including through the UN and with
international partners, to hold Israel accountable for these violations? If not please explain in
light Of NZ being state party to the Geneva Conventions, why New Zealand is falling short of
its legal and moral obligation to act decisively against such egregious abuses? Silence in the
face of these atrocities risks complicity as wel as personal responsibility at the highest levels.
The Ministry’s advice to the Minister of Foreign Affairs for a reply letter:
Thank you for your email of 3 February 2025. The situation in Israel and Gaza remains
deeply distressing, despite a ceasefire deal being reached.
International law expressly forbids torture and other cruel, inhumane, or degrading
treatment.
New Zealand strongly believes that no person should be subjected to torture or to
cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Government officials take
appropriate opportunities in the United Nations and elsewhere to express our strong
opposition to torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.
New Zealand’s response to the Israel-Hamas conflict has, since 7 October 2023, been
consistently grounded in the upholding of international law. New Zealand has
Page 3 of 3
repeatedly advocated for all parties to abide by their obligations under international
law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law.
International law expressly forbids torture and other cruel, inhumane, or degrading
treatment.
The Prime Minister, senior officials and I have all emphasised this expectation in the
United Nations, in joint statements with Australian and Canadian counterparts, and in
other official engagements. A full list of 70+ national statements, including votes at the
United Nations, can be found here: https://www.mfat.govt.nz/en/countries-and-
regions/middle-east/israel-hamas-conflict
Yours sincerely
Rt Hon Winston Peters
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Where the information has been withheld under section 9 of the OIA, no public interest
in releasing the information has been identified that would override the reasons for
withholding it.
Please note that it is our policy to proactively release our responses to official
information requests where possible. Therefore, our response to your request (with your
personal information removed) may be published on the Ministry website:
www.mfat.govt.nz/en/about-us/contact-us/official-information-act-responses/
If you have any questions about this decision, you can contact us by email at:
[email address]. You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the
Ombudsman of this decision by contacting
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone
0800 802 602.
Nāku noa, nā
Sarah Corbett
for Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Document Outline
