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
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