[UNCLASSIFIED]

UNCLASSIFIED

Kia ora John Wilson,

 

Thank you for your OIA request received on 2 July 2025 for:

 

A list of all communications from the Government of Israel or the United
States, including their embassies or representatives, mentioning the Gaza
Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), received by MFAT from 1 May 2025 to now.

 

For each item, please include:

 

- Date received

 

- Source

 

- Type of document

 

- Subject or title

 

- A brief description or summary

 

This email confirms receipt of your request and advises that we will
respond to it as soon as reasonably practicable, and in terms of the
timeframes and requirements of the OIA.

 

Please note that our response letter to you (with your personal details
redacted), and any enclosed documents, may be published on the Ministry’s
website.

 

Ngâ mihi

 

Executive Services Division

New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade | Manatû Aorere

 

 

 

UNCLASSIFIED

-----Original Message-----
From: John Wilson <[FOI #31473 email]>
Sent: Wednesday, July 2, 2025 10:59 PM
To: ENQUIRIES <[MFAT request email]>
Subject: Official Information request - Gaza Humanitarian Foundation

 

Dear Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade,

 

Under the OIA, I request the following:

 

A list of all communications from the Government of Israel or the United
States, including their embassies or representatives, mentioning the Gaza
Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), received by MFAT from 1 May 2025 to now.

 

For each item, please include:

 

- Date received

 

- Source

 

- Type of document

 

- Subject or title

 

- A brief description or summary

 

Yours faithfully,

 

John Wilson

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

 

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[1][FOI #31473 email]

 

Is [2][MFAT request email] the wrong address for Official Information
requests to Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade? If so, please contact
us using this form:

[3]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

 

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:

[4]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

 

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.

 

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

"The information contained in this email message is intended only for the
addressee and is not necessarily the official view or communication of the
Ministry. It may be legally privileged. If you are not the intended
recipient you must not use, disclose, copy or distribute this message or
the information in it as this may be unlawful. If you have received this
message in error, please email or telephone the sender immediately."

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[FOI #31473 email]
2. mailto:[MFAT request email]
3. https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...
4. https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

hide quoted sections

[UNCLASSIFIED]

UNCLASSIFIED

Tçnâ koe John Wilson,

 

We are writing concerning your Official Information Act request below, to
advise that responding to your request as currently framed would require
review of a significant amount of information. As such, it is likely that
your request will be refused under section 18(f) of the OIA, as the
information requested cannot be made available without substantial
collation and research.

 

For your information, New Zealand’s response to the Israel-Hamas conflict
has been consistently grounded in the upholding of international law,
including international humanitarian law, alongside New Zealand’s broader
foreign policy. We have consistently advocated for safe, rapid, and
unimpeded humanitarian access, and the protection of humanitarian workers.
New Zealand has provided NZ$37.5 million in financial support to the
humanitarian response.

 

On 19 May 2025, the Minister of Foreign Affairs signed a [1]joint
statement together with Foreign Ministers from 23 other countries on
humanitarian aid to Gaza and the proposal for a new aid delivery model.
The statement noted that the new model, “places beneficiaries and aid
workers at risk, undermines the role and independence of the UN and our
trusted partners, and links humanitarian aid to political and military
objectives. Humanitarian aid should never be politicised, and Palestinian
territory must not be reduced nor subjected to any demographic change.”

 

More information on New Zealand’s humanitarian response to the
Israel-Hamas conflict can be found here:
[2]https://www.mfat.govt.nz/en/countries-an....

  

We invite you to amend the scope of this request. For example, you may
wish to narrow the timeframe, specify particular topics of interest, or
identify specific types of documents or communications.

 

If we do not hear from you by 18 July 5pm, we will proceed with your
original request.

 

Please note, any clarification or amendment of a request is considered to
be a new request for the purpose of calculating the maximum statutory
timeframe for response (section 15(1AA) of the OIA refers).  

 

 

UNCLASSIFIED

-----Original Message-----
From: John Wilson <[3][FOI #31473 email]>
Sent: Wednesday, July 2, 2025 10:59 PM
To: ENQUIRIES <[4][MFAT request email]>
Subject: Official Information request - Gaza Humanitarian Foundation

 

Dear Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade,

 

Under the OIA, I request the following:

 

A list of all communications from the Government of Israel or the United
States, including their embassies or representatives, mentioning the Gaza
Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), received by MFAT from 1 May 2025 to now.

 

For each item, please include:

 

- Date received

 

- Source

 

- Type of document

 

- Subject or title

 

- A brief description or summary

 

Yours faithfully,

 

John Wilson

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

 

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[5][FOI #31473 email]

 

Is [6][MFAT request email] the wrong address for Official Information
requests to Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade? If so, please contact
us using this form:

[7]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

 

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:

[8]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

 

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.

 

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

"The information contained in this email message is intended only for the
addressee and is not necessarily the official view or communication of the
Ministry. It may be legally privileged. If you are not the intended
recipient you must not use, disclose, copy or distribute this message or
the information in it as this may be unlawful. If you have received this
message in error, please email or telephone the sender immediately."

References

Visible links
1. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/joint...
2. https://www.mfat.govt.nz/en/countries-an...
3. mailto:[FOI #31473 email]
4. mailto:[MFAT request email]
5. mailto:[FOI #31473 email]
6. mailto:[MFAT request email]
7. https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...
8. https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

hide quoted sections

[UNCLASSIFIED]

UNCLASSIFIED

Tēnā koe John Wilson,

We are writing in regards to your Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) request of 2 July 2025, and subsequently refined on 15 July 2025 which asks for:
I am seeking communications where the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) is a primary or significant subject of the communication, not merely incidental mentions.

Specifically, I am requesting copies or a summary list of the following document types:
- Notes verbales
- Letters from ambassadors or officials to the Minister of Foreign Affairs or MFAT Chief Executive
- Demarches or formal diplomatic representations

For each, please provide:
- Date received
- Source
- Type of communication
- Subject or title (if available)
- A brief summary or description

This email is to advise that we will need to extend the time limit for responding to you by 20 working days, to 27 August 2025. This is because consultations necessary to make a decision on your request are such that a proper response cannot reasonably be made within the original time frame, and responding to your refined request still necessitates review of a large quantity of information, and meeting the original time limit would unreasonably interfere with the operations of the Ministry (section 15A(1)(a) and 15A(1)(b) of the OIA refers of the OIA refers).

However, if this process is completed before 27 August 2025, the response will be sent to you as soon as possible.

If you have any questions, you can contact us by email at: DM [email address]. You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision by contacting http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/ or freephone 0800 802 602.

Nga mihi

Executive Services Division
New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade | Manatu Aorere

195 Lambton Quay, Private Bag 18901, Wellington 5045, New Zealand
http://www.mfat.govt.nz/ | http://www.safetravel.govt.nz/

UNCLASSIFIED

UNCLASSIFIED
-----Original Message-----
From: John Wilson <[FOI #31473 email]>
Sent: Tuesday, July 15, 2025 8:35 PM
To: ESD <[email address]>
Subject: RE: Official Information request - Gaza Humanitarian Foundation [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]

Kia ora, and thank you for the opportunity to amend the scope of my request.

I wish to revise my request to focus on - substantive formal communications - received by MFAT from the Government of Israel and the Government of the United States, including their embassies or diplomatic representatives, between - 1 May and 30 June 2025 -, that refer to or mention the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).

I am seeking communications where the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) is a primary or significant subject of the communication, not merely incidental mentions.

Specifically, I am requesting copies or a summary list of the following document types:

- Notes verbales
- Letters from ambassadors or officials to the Minister of Foreign Affairs or MFAT Chief Executive
- Demarches or formal diplomatic representations

For each, please provide:

- Date received
- Source
- Type of communication
- Subject or title (if available)
- A brief summary or description

If the volume or complexity of records matching the full scope of this request is considered too substantial, I am willing to narrow the request further to only the month of May.

Yours sincerely,

John Wilson

-----Original Message-----

[UNCLASSIFIED]

UNCLASSIFIED

Tçnâ koe John Wilson,

We are writing concerning your Official Information Act request below, to advise that responding to your request as currently framed would require review of a significant amount of information. As such, it is likely that your request will be refused under section 18(f) of the OIA, as the information requested cannot be made available without substantial collation and research.

For your information, New Zealand’s response to the Israel-Hamas conflict has been consistently grounded in the upholding of international law, including international humanitarian law, alongside New Zealand’s broader foreign policy. We have consistently advocated for safe, rapid, and unimpeded humanitarian access, and the protection of humanitarian workers.
New Zealand has provided NZ$37.5 million in financial support to the humanitarian response.

On 19 May 2025, the Minister of Foreign Affairs signed a [1]joint statement together with Foreign Ministers from 23 other countries on humanitarian aid to Gaza and the proposal for a new aid delivery model.
The statement noted that the new model, “places beneficiaries and aid workers at risk, undermines the role and independence of the UN and our trusted partners, and links humanitarian aid to political and military objectives. Humanitarian aid should never be politicised, and Palestinian territory must not be reduced nor subjected to any demographic change.”

More information on New Zealand’s humanitarian response to the Israel-Hamas conflict can be found here:
[2]https://www.mfat.govt.nz/en/countries-an....

We invite you to amend the scope of this request. For example, you may wish to narrow the timeframe, specify particular topics of interest, or identify specific types of documents or communications.

If we do not hear from you by 18 July 5pm, we will proceed with your original request.

Please note, any clarification or amendment of a request is considered to be a new request for the purpose of calculating the maximum statutory timeframe for response (section 15(1AA) of the OIA refers).

UNCLASSIFIED

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #31473 email]

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

"The information contained in this email message is intended only for the addressee and is not necessarily the official view or communication of the Ministry. If you are not the intended recipient you must not use, disclose, copy or distribute this message or the information in it. If you have received this message in error, please email or telephone the sender immediately."

hide quoted sections

[UNCLASSIFIED]

UNCLASSIFIED

Tēnā koe John Wilson,

 

We apologise for the delay providing you with this response. This was due
to an administrative error.

 

Nga mihi

 

Executive Services Division
New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade | Manatu Aorere

---------------

195 Lambton Quay, Private Bag 18901, Wellington 5045, New Zealand

[1]www.mfat.govt.nz | [2]www.safetravel.govt.nz

 

UNCLASSIFIED

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

"The information contained in this email message is intended only for the
addressee and is not necessarily the official view or communication of the
Ministry. It may be legally privileged. If you are not the intended
recipient you must not use, disclose, copy or distribute this message or
the information in it as this may be unlawful. If you have received this
message in error, please email or telephone the sender immediately."

References

Visible links
1. Original URL: http://www.mfat.govt.nz/. Click or tap if you trust this link.
http://www.mfat.govt.nz/
2. Original URL: http://www.safetravel.govt.nz/. Click or tap if you trust this link.
http://www.safetravel.govt.nz/

hide quoted sections

[UNCLASSIFIED]

UNCLASSIFIED

Tēnā koe John Wilson,

Please let me know if this PDF works.

UNCLASSIFIED

UNCLASSIFIED
-----Original Message-----
From: John Wilson <[FOI #31473 email]>
Sent: Friday, August 29, 2025 5:48 PM
To: ESD <[email address]>
Subject: Re: OIA Response [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]

Dear ESD,

The PDF sent appears to be corrupted and will not open on FYI.org.nz. Please resend it.

https://fyi.org.nz/request/31473-gaza-hu...

Yours sincerely,

John Wilson

-----Original Message-----

[UNCLASSIFIED]

UNCLASSIFIED

Tēnā koe John Wilson,

We apologise for the delay providing you with this response. This was due to an administrative error.

Nga mihi

Executive Services Division
New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade | Manatu Aorere

---------------

195 Lambton Quay, Private Bag 18901, Wellington 5045, New Zealand

[1]http://www.mfat.govt.nz/ | [2]http://www.safetravel.govt.nz/

UNCLASSIFIED

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #31473 email]

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

"The information contained in this email message is intended only for the addressee and is not necessarily the official view or communication of the Ministry. If you are not the intended recipient you must not use, disclose, copy or distribute this message or the information in it. If you have received this message in error, please email or telephone the sender immediately."

hide quoted sections