Ireland has joined six other countries in calling for Israel to refrain from further military operations in Gaza and to immediately lift the blockade amid an escalating humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian enclave.
The joint statement from seven leaders, including Taoiseach Micheál Martin, comes against the backdrop of fresh Israeli attacks on Gaza and a blockade that is now in its third month.
The statement says: “We will not be silent in front of the man-made humanitarian catastrophe that is taking place before our eyes in Gaza. More than 50,000 men, women and children have lost their lives.
“Many more could starve to death in the coming days and weeks unless immediate action is taken.”
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The other signatories are the prime ministers Kristrún Frostadóttir (Iceland), Luc Frieden (Luxembourg), Robert Abela (Malta), Jonas Gahr Støre (Norway), Robert Golob (Slovenia) and Pedro Sánchez (Spain).
The seven leaders call on the government of Israel “to immediately reverse its current policy, refrain from further military operations and fully lift the blockade, ensuring safe, rapid and unimpeded humanitarian aid to be distributed throughout the Gaza Strip by international humanitarian actors and according to humanitarian principles”.
They say the United Nations and humanitarian organisations, including Unrwa “must be supported and granted safe and unimpeded access”.
The leaders also “call upon all parties to immediately engage with renewed urgency and good faith in negotiations on a ceasefire and the release of all hostages”.
Acknowledging what they describe as “the important role played by the United States, Egypt and Qatar in this regard”, they also say: “This is the basis upon which we can build a sustainable, just and comprehensive peace, based on the implementation of the two-state solution.”
The leaders also condemn “the further escalation in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, with increased settler violence, the expansion of illegal settlements and intensified Israel military operations”.
They add that “forced displacement or the expulsion of the Palestinian people”, would “constitute a breach of international law”.
Israeli strikes have killed at least 93 people in Gaza overnight, with the latest attacks following days of similar operations that killed more than 130 people, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
The war began when Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people in an intrusion into southern Israel on October 7th, 2023.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed more than 53,000 Palestinians according to Gaza’s Hamas-controlled health ministry
Hamas still holds 58 of the roughly 250 hostages it took during its October 7th attack on Israel, with 23 believed to still be alive
There had been hopes that US president Donald Trump’s visit to Gulf states this week could usher in a ceasefire deal or renewal of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
According to Agence France-Presse, the US president told reporters: “We’re looking at Gaza. And we’re going to get that taken care of. A lot of people are starving.”
Additional Reporting − AP
