The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) is yet to advise the new government on whether to designate the political wing of Hamas a terrorist organisation and the Prime Minister does not expect to get any such advice until the new year, Government sources have confirmed to ZB Plus. 

Shortly after the terror attacks on October 7, former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins asked MFAT for official advice as to whether the designation should be made. On October 26, an MFAT spokesperson told ZB Plus that the interagency Terrorist Designations Working Group had started work on the issue and that the advice would be presented to the new government. 

"A thorough due diligence process is required to ensure all the strict legal tests and criteria are met before an entity can be designated under the Terrorism Suppression Act," the spokesperson said. 

New Zealand designated the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, also known as the military wing of Hamas, as a terrorist organisation in 2010 and has consistently renewed this, most recently in August 2022. 

An MFAT spokesperson today told ZB Plus "officials continue to progress advice on designating the entirety of Hamas as a terrorist organisation". 

Controversy surrounded the previous Government's response to the Hamas terror attacks on October 7.  

An Official Information Act document revealed that MFAT's Middle East and Africa Division briefed the Department of the Prime Minister, Cabinet and then-Foreign Affairs Minister, Nanaia Mahuta’s office at 9pm on the day of the attacks. 

The division’s email suggested talking points for the minister and Prime Minister and a draft tweet to be sent by Mahuta.  

The draft tweet read "Aotearoa New Zealand unequivocally condemns rocket and terror attacks from Gaza into Israel and calls for their immediate cessation".  

However, a summary of events in the OIA response stated that Mahuta's office “disagreed with the wording of the draft tweet”.  

Mahuta's X post on the morning of October 8 stated that New Zealand was "deeply concerned at the outbreak of conflict between Israel and Gaza", before calling for an immediate cessation of violence and the protection of all civilians.   

Later that day Mahuta clarified New Zealand's position with a second X post that stated, "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."