New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on 13 August said Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu had “lost the plot”, condemning Israel’s latest assault on Gaza City as “utterly unacceptable” and criticising the lack of humanitarian relief reaching the enclave. Luxon told reporters the scale of civilian displacement and mounting hunger showed Netanyahu had “gone way too far” and was ignoring wider international appeals to protect non-combatants. Britain, Canada, Australia and several European allies this week warned that conditions in Gaza had reached “unimaginable levels” and urged Israel to allow unrestricted aid, an accusation Jerusalem rejects. Wellington is weighing whether to recognise a Palestinian state, with Cabinet scheduled to decide ahead of a U.N. gathering in September. Luxon said recognition was a matter of “when, not if”, aligning New Zealand with moves already signalled by Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and France. A small protest outside Parliament accompanied the remarks, with demonstrators demanding lawmakers “grow a spine, recognise Palestine”. Inside the chamber, debate over sanctions on Israel has already led to the temporary suspension of Green MP Chlöe Swarbrick after she refused to retract comments accusing colleagues of being “spineless”.