Court SimonSIMON COURT (ACT): Thank you Mr Speaker. On 7 October 2023 Hamas attacked Israel. They killed over 1200 people. They took hundreds hostage of which it is suspected less than 100 still live in captivity held in tunnels held in basements and even we've learnt held in the family living rooms of Hamas operatives in Gaza.New Zealand has taken action in line with our allies and in relation to our size and scale. New Zealand accepts around 1500 refugees per year which is what we can accept with the resources we have available. We must reflect the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is caused by Hamas operating a terrorist State using Gaza as a base to attack its neighbours and using the people of Gaza as human shields since 2007. We should not accept Hamas is allowed to exist and that is why I am proud the New Zealand coalition Government has declared not only Hamas' so-called military wing but also its fake political wing to be a terrorist entity. Hamas has no political legitimacy and they bear sole responsibility for the terrorist attack on Gaza. The State of Israel has been forced to retaliate to try to get its citizens that are held hostage back and try to create sufficient defensive conditions so that Israel is safe from further attacks.New Zealand has frozen the assets and the ability for New Zealanders to send funds to Hamas. Now people would ask Well who in their right mind would want to send funds to Hamas?" Well it turns out there are New Zealanders who wanted to and in fact had organised to. They had organised to. The only group to oppose the New Zealand Government's decision to categorise the political wing of Hamas as a terrorist entity was a group called Palestinian Solidarity Network led by the confused and bitter John Minto once a freedom fighter against apartheid now an apologist for anti-Semitic terrorists. How far that gentleman has fallen. But New Zealand has also sadly been slow to the party.In terms of designating Hamas a terrorist entity and that includes its political wing New Zealand and Australia didn't do this until very recently—Australia in 2022; Canada in 2022; the UK in 2003—but the US recognised the problem that Hamas was causing back in 1997. New Zealand has and dare I say my colleagues in Labour and the Green Party and no doubt Te Pāti Māori seem to imagine we live in a world where a resolution or a declaration of ceasefire can be made and all of a sudden there are unicorns and rainbows. It doesn't work like that in the real world. Someone has to get the hostages back. Someone has to keep the people of Israel safe.A former Labour leader—actually a former Prime Minister—once declared in May 2001—remember that date: May 2001—New Zealand is in an incredibly benign strategic environment. In September 2001 Al Qaeda terrorists flew two aircraft into the World Trade Center buildings another one into the Pentagon and passengers on another flight managed to wrestle the controls away from the terrorists and it landed in a field with all being killed. That was not a benign strategic environment then and we do not live in one now.When the UN called for a ceasefire today it echoes the desire of many people in Israel and Gaza's neighbours for an end to the conflict an end to the suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza. Only Hamas can end their suffering. They can accept the deal currently offered by Israel return the hostages have a ceasefire. But remember Hamas you are not safe; you will face justice—that is clear. The Israelis will come after you. New Zealand can do its bit by helping them and making sure that we can deliver aid to the people of Gaza as soon as we can."