Will’s Word: Is the Pacific’s response to the war in Gaza weak?

Here's a genuine question: How much more blood must be spilled before the Pacific finds its voice? Israel's war in Gaza has become an absolute humanitarian catastrophe. Journalists gunned down, families buried under rubble, children starving as aid convoys are turned away.

The world is watching atrocities unfold in real time and yet from our region there's barely a whisper. New Zealand at least managed to join two dozen countries calling for media access and protection for journalists, a necessary but perhaps timid step.

Where was our voice when others condemned Israel's plan to expand settlements in the West Bank? Settlements that shred international law and extinguish any hope for a two-state solution?

And what about our Pacific response? Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Nauru, Palau, Tuvalu, Tonga - nations that know what it means to be small, vulnerable and reliant on the principles of international law, yet they haven't even recognised Palestinian statehood.

What message does that send? That some lives are worth less? That self-determination only matters when it suits the powerful? I know that's a controversial statement to make but bear with me for just a moment.

Let's reflect on what's actually going on in Gaza. Israel has crossed line after line. Deliberate strikes on journalists, collective punishment of civilians, land grabs that erase Palestine piece by piece.

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International law is not ambiguous here. These are war crimes. But you'd have to ask our region, is it doing enough? The Pacific prides itself perhaps on moral leadership, climate change, nuclear testing and standing up to giants when survival is at stake.

Where is that courage now when it comes to calling out for its actions in Gaza? Genuine question. The Pacific cannot keep hiding behind strategic silence, that's the way I'm going to put it, frankly.

If we believe in humanity and justice, we must condemn the war in Gaza because the truth is simple. If we do not stand up for Palestine, then our words about justice are hollow.

We as Pacific people, we are all about seeking justice. We should have a collective voice and condemn Israel's actions.

That’s Will’s Word.