Nearly 70% of the Palestinian deaths in Gaza have been women or children with little or no connection to Hamas. In August, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon declared Israel’s military assault on Gaza City was "utterly unacceptable" and said Netanyahu had "lost the plot". Such a stance was depicted by the prime minister and foreign minister as "balanced" and consistent with an independent foreign policy. If this perception is widely shared, New Zealand’s hard-won reputation as a state that firmly upholds an international rules-based order could be dealt a major blow. • Robert G. Patman is an inaugural Sesquicentennial Distinguished Chair and a specialist in international relations at the University of Otago.