International community 'failing to do enough for Gaza'
Civilians on boats should not be needed to highlight children starving in Gaza, and that the international community needed to "grow a backbone" and say "stop the genocide," the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Harris has said.
He also said that he hopes that by the next European Foreign Affairs Council meeting, the European Commission will come forward with proposals for actions and sanctions that can be taken, at a European level, against Israel in response.
Speaking before Cabinet, Mr Harris said that he had heard a lot of media commentary that the Madleen flotilla was "symbolic" and he agreed that it was, but said that it represented "very important symbolism".
"What it's actually highlighting is that there are people starving in Gaza today," he said.
"You can have all the back and forth about Greta (Thunberg) or what the Israelis have said about her or what she has said about them, the point is this; there is a genocide happening. There are children starving today, and the only reason that this is happening is because Israel has a block on food entering Gaza," Mr Harris said.
"Anything that can be done to make sure the eyes of the world are fixed on Gaza, at a time when the international community is failing to do enough for Gaza and for the children of Gaza, is a good and appropriate thing."
"It shouldn't require flotillas, it shouldn't require civilians getting on boats and trying to highlight this, it should require the international community growing a backbone here and saying stop! Stop the genocide."
"When I attend the next (European) Foreign Affairs Council meeting I really hope and expect that the European Commission won't just tell us that they are continuing to review the Association Agreement with Israel, I expect them to come forward with proposals, actions that we can actually take, sanctions that can be taken at a European level against Israel to say this genocide must stop," Mr Harris said.
at least 17 Palestinians and wounded dozens of others as thousands of displaced people approached an aid distribution site of the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) in central Gaza, according to local health authorities.
The Israeli military said they are looking into the incident.
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