The minister of foreign affairs admits she should have used stronger language sooner to condemn the deadly attacks on Israel by Hamas.
Israel has declared war after Hamas launched a brutal and co-ordinated attack on the country, taking hostages and killing civilians.
As of Monday evening (New Zealand time) Reuters reports the death toll stands at 1100.
Nanaia Mahuta has been criticised by the Jewish Council and by National for her first statement on Sunday in which said the the government was deeply concerned about the conflict.
Nanaia Mahuta Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins then took a much tougher stance saying New Zealand unequivocally condemns the attacks and is appalled civilians have been targeted.
On Sunday afternoon Hipkins told reporters New Zealand "condemns unequivocally the Hamas attacks on Israel, we are appalled by the targeting of civilians and the taking of hostages which violate fundamental international humanitarian principles".
"New Zealand's designated the military wing of Hamas as a terrorist organisation, we recognise Israel's right to defend itself, we are concerned that the situation will escalate in the coming days and New Zealand again calls for restraint, the protection of non-combatants, and the upholding of international humanitarian law by all parties."
Mahuta's second statement, posted on X/Twitter said New Zealand "utterly condemns the terrorist attacks led by Hamas on Israel, and continues to urge restraint from all parties in the region in order to prevent the further loss of civilian lives".
"Look, I acknowledge that stronger language could have been used and we've since clarified our position and condemned unequivocally the Hamas attacks," Mahuta told Checkpoint.
Asked how it looks internationally that it was seven-and-a-half hours between her first post and a second post, which came after Hipkins', Mahuta said: "The prime minister was on the campaign trail and as soon as we could clarify the position we did and we are on the same page.
"Civilian lives have been lost sadly and we need to find ways to try and work with the international community to de-escalate the situation.
"The attack has been conducted by Hamas, it's a terror on the people of Israel and again, we've condemned unequivocally the attack."
Mahuta said the significance of lives lost would mean people would be living in fear in Israel - in West Bank and in Gaza.
The events escalated very quickly, she said.
"Diplomacy will continue to be required in this instance."
The attack being conducted in a way that was "alarming" and "by surprise as reports would have it", was concerning, she said.
"People have been abducted, it's a very very tragic set of circumstances, lives have been lost, civilian lives have been lost."
Mahuta had not yet spoken to her Israeli counterpart but she said she had reached out to her Australian counterpart "so that we are on the same page".
With hostages of different nationalities taken, Mahuta was asked what New Zealand could do, she replied: "We should be doing as we are, which is reaching out to our close friends and neighbours, we should be ensuring that we are getting current information from Israel, from the UN about what steps we can take.
"In fact that's the approach we take, we did the same thing when it came to the Russia, Ukraine situation and we continue to work in the same manner."
Mahuta expected the UN would try to find a way to respond to the immediate need and said she had commissioned a report from the ministry to ask what humanitarian support, if any, New Zealand could provide while working alongside other international partners.
