Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has made his first comments on the conflict in Gaza since Parliament went into recess last year, urging Israel to abide by international law as it prosecutes its war on Hamas.

The remarks were in response to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying he may ignore the outcome of a case being brought against Israel at the International Court of Justice and continue the war.

The case, which is being brought by South Africa, alleges Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and asks the court to intervene.

When asked about Netanyahu’s remarks about the Court, Luxon said Israel had to abide by international law.

“We’ve said from the beginning that Israel has a right to defend itself, but it has a huge obligation to make sure that it is compliant with international law,” Luxon said.

“While that case is ongoing, we are monitoring and watching that closely but the reality is we expect Israel’s response to be completely compliant with international law,” he said.

“There is an obligation on a state like Israel to be fully compliant with international law,” he said.

South Africa brought a case against Israel at the Court, arguing Israel was committing genocide in Gaza and asking for the court to intervene. The decisions of the court are binding, but it lacks an effective enforcement mechanism. Israel denies the allegations, saying it has a right to defend itself and that what is occurring in Gaza is not genocide.

Earlier this week, Netanyahu made remarks that were interpreted as defying the court’s power.

“Nobody will stop us — not The Hague [the base of the International Court of Justice], not the [Iranian-led] axis of evil and not anybody else,” Netanyahu said.

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“The hypocritical onslaught at The Hague against the state of the Jews that arose from the ashes of the Holocaust... is a moral low point in the history of nations,” he said.

Gaza’s health ministry has said this week the death toll in the conflict has topped 24,000.

The conflict began after Hamas terrorists entered Israel, killing 1200 and taking hostages.

The Labour Party’s Foreign Affairs spokesman David Parker called on National to go even further, and “participate” in the case made by South Africa.

“Last month an overwhelming majority of countries, including New Zealand, voted at the United Nations for an immediate ceasefire, but Israel has shown no intention of letting up. Some Ministers in the Israeli government are continuing to call for Palestinians to be ejected from their own land,” Parker said.

A Palestinian walks through the destruction by the Israeli bombardment in the Nusseirat refugee camp in Gaza Strip. Photo / AP

“South Africa has taken allegations of genocide in Gaza to the International Court of Justice, a claim which Israel denies. The International Court of Justice is the appropriate body to investigate and determine whether the Genocide Convention has been breached, and whether the international laws relating to war are being breached,” he said.

Speaking at National’s caucus retreat in Christchurch as the political year slowly gets into gear, Luxon also addressed his Government’s decision to throw itself behind American and British air strikes against Houthis in Yemen.

Houthis have been targetting shipping through the Red Sea in support of Palestine, as Israel prosecutes its war.

New Zealand is one of just 10 countries to sign up to a White House statement supporting the strikes. It is rare for New Zealand to be so forward-leaning on such a controversial issue. Few European nations signed on to the statement, despite being some of the chief beneficiaries of trade through the Red Sea.

Just one Arab state, Bahrain, added its name to the statement, potentially indicating a lack of support for the strikes in the Arab world. Bahrain hosts the US Navy’s Fifth fleet.

Luxon said it was crucial to keep trade routes open. The strikes had meant ships could not pass through the Red Sea and Suez Canal, and instead journey round the Horn of Africa, adding time and cost to trade.

“New Zealand has had a long history of being a small trading nation, and as a consequence, the adherence to international law, international shipping, as an export country, is really important to us.

“We have had a longstanding commitment, even with personnel in that part of the world making sure that those laws are upheld.

“For us, it is about our values,” Luxon said.

Thomas Coughlan is Deputy Political Editor and covers politics from Parliament. He has worked for the Herald since 2021 and has worked in the press gallery since 2018.