Ireland joins 25 other countries urging end to Gaza war and condemning ‘horrifying' aid deaths
Tánaiste Simon Harris is one of 26 signatories to a joint statement on Monday which calls for an end to the war in
Gaza
.
Mr Harris, who is also Minister for Foreign Affairs, said the 'suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths'.
He said
Israel
must immediately lift restrictions on the flow of aid and urgently enable the
United Nations
to do 'life-saving work safely and effectively' in the region, adding that
Hamas
must also release all hostages immediately.
READ MORE
The letter is signed by the foreign ministers of the UK, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
It is also signed by Hadja Lahbib, the European Commissioner for equality, preparedness and crisis management.
It stated that Israel must comply with obligations under international humanitarian law.
'The Israeli government's aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity,' the letter said.
'We condemn the drip-feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their most basic needs of water and food.
'It is horrifying that over 800 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid. The Israeli government's denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable.'
The ministers also said: 'The hostages cruelly held captive by Hamas since October 7th, 2023, continue to suffer terribly.
'We condemn their continued detention and call for their immediate and unconditional release.
'A negotiated ceasefire offers the best hope of bringing them home and ending the agony of their families.'
It said that proposals to remove the Palestinian population into a 'humanitarian city' were completely unacceptable.
'Permanent forced displacement is a violation of international humanitarian law,' it said.
The ministers also opposed steps for 'demographic change in the Occupied Palestinian Territories', including proposals for accelerated settlements in the West Bank.
The authors said: 'We are prepared to take further action to support an immediate ceasefire and a political pathway to security and peace for Israelis, Palestinians and the entire region.'
In response, Israel's foreign ministry said the letter was 'disconnected from reality and sends the wrong message to Hamas'.
'The statement fails to focus the pressure on Hamas and fails to recognise Hamas's role and responsibility for the situation. Hamas is the sole party responsible for the continuation of the war and the suffering on both sides,' it said in a statement.
Separately
Mahmoud Abbas
, the president of the
Palestinian National Authority
, has launched a campaign to encourage world leaders to intervene to prevent starvation in Gaza.
The Embassy of Palestine, in Dublin, has praised Ireland for being 'an important voice in demanding justice and action in the face of international law violations', citing its recognition of Palestinian statehood and involvement in cases against Israel at the
International Court of Justice
.
In a letter to Taoiseach
Micheál Martin
, Mr Abbas called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the release of hostages and prisoners and urgent action against starvation.
The embassy also described the pending legislation over imports from Israeli settlements, commonly known as the
Occupied Territories Bill
, as 'crucial political leadership which can help set a new EU precedent'. – Additional reporting by PA
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
18 minutes ago
- Irish Examiner
Israeli air strikes in Gaza Strip leave at least 25 dead, health officials say
At least 25 people were killed by Israeli air strikes and gunshots overnight, according to health officials and the ambulance service on Saturday, as ceasefire talks appear to have stalled and Palestinians in Gaza face famine. The majority of victims were killed by gunfire as they waited for aid trucks close to the Zikim crossing with Israel, said staff at Shifa hospital, where the bodies were brought. The Israeli army did not respond to requests for comments about the latest shootings. Those killed in the strikes include four people in an apartment building in Gaza City among others, hospital staff and the ambulance service said. The strikes come as ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas have hit a standstill after the US and Israel recalled their negotiating teams on Thursday, throwing the future of the talks into further uncertainty. Palestinians mourn during the funeral of people who were killed while trying to reach aid trucks (Abdel Kareem Hana/AP/PA) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday his government was considering 'alternative options' to ceasefire talks with Hamas. His comments came as a Hamas official said negotiations were expected to resume next week and portrayed the recall of the Israeli and American delegations as a pressure tactic. Egypt and Qatar, which are mediating the talks alongside the US, said the pause was only temporary and that talks would resume, though they did not say when. The United Nations (UN) and experts have said that Palestinians in Gaza are at risk of famine, with reports of increasing numbers of people dying from causes related to malnutrition. While Israel's army says it is allowing aid into the enclave with no limit on the number of trucks that can enter, the UN says it is hampered by Israeli military restrictions on its movements and incidents of criminal looting. The Zikim crossing shootings come days after at least 80 Palestinians were killed trying to reach aid entering through the same crossing. The Israeli military said at the time its soldiers shot at a gathering of thousands of Palestinians who posed a threat and that it was aware of some casualties. Marwa Barakat (centre) mourns during the funeral of her son Fahd Abu Hajeb (Abdel Kareem Hana/AP/PA) Israel is facing increased international pressure to alleviate the catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Gaza. More then two dozen Western-aligned countries and more than 100 charity and human rights groups have called for an end to the war, harshly criticising Israel's blockade and a new aid delivery model it has rolled out. The charities and rights groups said even their own staff were struggling to get enough food. For the first time in months Israel said it is allowing airdrops, requested by Jordan. A Jordanian official said the airdrops will mainly be food and milk formula. UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer wrote in a newspaper article on Saturday that the UK was 'working urgently' with Jordan to get British aid into Gaza. Aid group the World Central Kitchen said on Friday it was resuming limited cooking operations in Deir al-Balah after being forced to halt due to a lack of food supplies. It said it is trying to serve 60,000 meals daily through its field kitchen and partner community kitchens, less than half of what it has cooked over the previous month.
RTÉ News
an hour ago
- RTÉ News
Gaza civil defence says Israeli forces kill 11 people
Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli operations have killed 11 people in the Palestinian territory devastated by over 21 months of war. Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal said the toll included four Palestinians killed in an air strike on the Al-Rimal neighbourhood of Gaza City in the territory's north. One other person was killed "after Israeli forces opened fire on people waiting for humanitarian aid" northwest of Gaza City, the agency said. Eyewitnesses said that several thousand people had gathered in the area to wait for aid. One of them, Abu Samir Hamoudeh, 42, said the Israeli military opened fire "while the people were waiting to approach the distribution point", located near an Israeli military post in the Zikim area, northwest of Sudaniyah. Another man was killed by a drone strike near the southern city of Khan Younis, while one was killed by artillery fire in the Al-Bureij camp in central Gaza, the civil defence said. The Israeli military said it was looking into the matter. In a separate statement, the military said it was continuing its operations in Gaza, adding that it killed members of a "terrorist cell" which it accused of planting an explosive device targeting soldiers. It added that over the past day the air force had "struck over 100 terror targets throughout the Gaza Strip". Mr Bassal also said that civil defence teams recovered the bodies of 12 people in the area of the Morag Corridor north of Rafah following Israeli bombardment the previous night. The recovery operation was conducted in coordination with the UN humanitarian office (OCHA), he said, adding that the bodies were taken to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify tolls and details provided by the civil defence agency and other parties. The Israeli campaign has killed 59,676 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza after a deadly attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas on 7 October 2023. Hamas's October 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
Irish Times
an hour ago
- Irish Times
Donald Trump seen golfing at start of five day private visit to Scotland
A major security operation surrounded US president Donald Trump as he played golf at the start of a five day long private visit to Scotland. The president headed to his Trump Turnberry resort – which he bought in 2014 – after arriving in the country on Friday night. On Saturday morning he was seen on the golf course there, wearing a white cap and driving a golf buggy. Ahead of that, a large number of police and military personnel have been spotted searching the grounds at the venue in South Ayrshire. Various road closures have been put in place, with limited access for both locals and members of the media. [ Epstein saga has exposed cracks in Maga movement which could fatally undermine Donald Trump Opens in new window ] Mr Trump is staying at Turnberry for the start of a five-day private visit to Scotland which will see him have talks with both UK prime minister Keir Starmer and Scottish first minister John Swinney. A meeting has also been scheduled for him to talk about trade with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday. With no talks apparently scheduled for Saturday, the president – a well-known golf enthusiast – appears to be free to play the famous Turnberry course. US president Donald Trump waves as he drives a golf buggy the Trump Turnberry golf courses, in Turnberry on the south west coast of Scotland on July 26th, 2025. Photograph: AFP via Getty Images However, protests have been planned, with opponents of Mr Trump expected to gather in both Edinburgh and Aberdeen later on Saturday and the Stop Trump coalition planning what it has described as being a 'festival of resistance'. As well as visiting Trump Turnberry, Mr Trump will head to Aberdeenshire later in his visit and is expected to open a second course at his golf resort in Balmedie. As he landed in Ayrshire on Friday, the president took questions from journalists, telling Europe to 'get your act together' on immigration, which he said was 'killing' the continent. He also praised Sir Keir, who he described as a 'good man', but added that the Prime Minister is 'slightly more liberal than I am'. Saturday will be the first real test of Police Scotland during the visit as it looks to control the demonstrations in Aberdeen and Edinburgh, as well as any which spring up near to the president's course. The force has asked for support from others around the UK to bolster officer numbers, with both organisations representing senior officers and the rank-and-file claiming there is likely to be an impact on policing across the country for the duration of the visit. Before the visit started, Mr Swinney appealed to Scots to protest 'peacefully and within the law'. - PA
