New Zealand Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and Trade
Manatū Aorere
22 March 2024
195 Lambton Quay
Private Bag 18−901
Wellington 6160
New Zealand
KW53
T +64 4 439 8000
[FYI request #25957 email]
F +64 4 472 9596
OIA 29187
Tēnā koe KW53
I refer to your email of 2 March 2024 in which you request the following information under the
Official Information Act 1982 (OIA):
‘details on any approvals given to provide any NZ weapons, weapon accessories, or aid to
the Israeli government or any Israeli companies in the past 5 years’
In the last five years (2 March 2019 to 2 March 2024) the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
(the Ministry) has not issued any weapons permits to the Government of Israel or any Israeli
companies. This part of your request is therefore refused under section 18(e) of the OIA, as the
information requested does not exist.
In the last five years the Ministry has issued two permits for weapon accessories to Israeli
companies as outlined below:
- In 2020, an export permit was issued to export a small number of firearm suppressors
(ML1) for evaluation purposes by an Israeli company;
- In 2021, an export permit was issued to export pistol, rifle, and shotgun parts (excluding
barrels or frames) (ML901) for sporting equipment to an Israeli company.
Further details of the goods are withheld under section 9(2)(ba) of the OIA, to protect the
supply of confidential information by another party.
The Ministry has not provided aid (encompassing humanitarian or development funding) to the
Government of Israel or Israeli companies in the past five years. This part of your request is
therefore refused under section 18(e) of the OIA, as the information requested does not exist.
New Zealand has provided a total of NZ$15 million in financial support to the humanitarian
response concerning the Israel-Hamas conflict. This includes NZ$7.5 million in support for the
World Food Programme (WFP) and NZ$2.5 million to the United Nations Children’s Fund
(UNICEF) appeals to support their responses in Gaza and the West Bank.
e [MFAT request email]
w www.mfat.govt.nz
Page 2 of 2
New Zealand has also contributed NZ$5 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross
(ICRC) appeal to support their humanitarian operations in Gaza, the West Bank, and Israel. This
includes humanitarian support for Israelis affected by the conflict. As you would expect, needs
are much greater in the occupied Palestinian territories and, as a result, the ICRC’s response in
Gaza and the West Bank is of a much greater scale.
You can read more about the ICRC’s response for affected Israelis – including engaging with
families of Israeli citizens taken hostage and facilitating the release and return of Israeli
hostages – on the ICRC website: https://www.icrc.org/en/where-we-work/middle-east/israel-
and-occupied-territories.
New Zealand funds humanitarian organisations that act with full neutrality, impartiality and
independence. Programming is needs-based, which means assistance is provided to those who
need it most, regardless of social, political, religious or economic considerations. These
principles are fundamental.
For more information please refer to the Ministry’s website information on the Israel-Hamas
Conflict accessible via the following link: https://www.mfat.govt.nz/en/countries-and-
regions/middle-east/israel-hamas-conflict/
Please note that it is our policy to proactively release our responses to official information
requests where possible. Therefore, our response to your request (with your personal information
removed) may be published on the Ministry website: www.mfat.govt.nz/en/about-us/contact-
us/official-information-act-responses/
If you have any questions about this decision, you can contact us by email at:
[email address]. You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the
Ombudsman of this decision by contacting www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone
0800 802 602.
Nāku noa, nā
Sarah Corbett
for Acting Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade
