Will’s Word: 61 lives lost in Gaza in a single day

61 people.

That's how many lives were lost in Gaza in the past day, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Since October 7, more than 65000 Palestinians have died, many of them women and children.

I don't know about you, but it's increasingly difficult to justify the scale of Israel's campaign against Hamas. I don't want to diminish what happened on October 7. Hamas' attack on Israel killed 1139 people.

That was brutal, it was shocking, it was wrong and perhaps Israel had every right to respond. But think of it this way, Israel's response has killed more than 50 times that number.

Entire neighbourhoods have been destroyed, families torn apart, and schools and homes? Gone. I saw a horrific story yesterday of a medical staff member saying they had to try and deliver a baby with a woman who had been beheaded.

Let that sink in. To those who back Israel's military campaign, I have to ask, how do you reconcile supporting a war that's left more than 65000 people dead in Gaza?

Listen to Will’s Word below.

On the other hand, critics of Hamas cannot ignore that this war began with its own atrocities. Any call for peace has to start with acknowledging that reality, too.

That’s where the world seems stuck at the moment, trying to find a resolution or a pathway to peace. And the longer New Zealand waits for a decision on recognising Palestinian statehood, the longer, arguably, people on both sides suffer.

That's Will's Word.