THE Taoiseach has issued what some commentators have described as ‘strong’ condemnation of the Israeli airstrikes launched against Gaza on Monday evening. Mr. Martin described the events as the ‘collective punishment of Palestinians’.
An Taoiseach made the comments in Brussels ahead of an EU summit to discuss the ongoing Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. He said that it was Europe’s responsibility to put as much pressure as possible on the Israeli to stop the bombing.
Mr. Martin’s statement comes in the wake of a series of airstrikes which the health authority in Gaza says was responsible for the deaths of over 400 people. Of these, it is thought that around 180 were children.
“There was no warning. Many, many people came back after the ceasefire to their homes in the expectation that they were going to experience some degree of peace and harmony,” said the Taoiseach.
“That has been shattered by what appears to be very indiscriminate bombing, just indiscriminate bombing.”
Mr. Martin then accused Israel’s defence minister Israel Katz of ‘collectively punishing’ the Palestinian people. “It is quite shocking, it needs to stop and Europe needs to say ‘Stop’ to the killing and slaughter,” he said.
“We do also need a release of all hostages, and we need to move very quickly to phase two of the ceasefire, which was originally agreed and what should be complied with.”
Meanwhile, Tánaiste Simon Harris clashed with Independent TD Catherine Connolly over claims in the Dáil that the Government had failed to adequately condemn the war in Gaza. Deputy Connolly referred to the situation in Palestine as genocide, and said that the conflict amounted to the ‘total disregard by Netanyahu of international law’.
She went on to say that ‘apart from our sweet words’, Ireland was ‘actively colluding with genocide’ by refusing to enact the Occupied Territories Bill.
The Tánaiste responded by saying he was ‘sick and tired of [Connolly] demeaning my position’ and that Ireland was doing more than many other countries around the world to hold Israel accountable for its conduct. Mr. Harris said that the Irish state was ‘actively involved in the International Court of Justice’ case and has provided aid for over 6,000 people.
Deputy Connolly responded that Israel needed to be publicly denounced in the same strong terms as Russia, suggesting that Ireland should stop the United States from ‘using Shannon to carry destructive weapons’.
Mr. Harris concluded by saying to Catherine Connolly: “It must be exhausting to think that you care, alone.”