In a statement to the Dáil, the Tánaiste, Micheál Martin, urged nations to cease the exportation of weapons to Israel as a step towards achieving peace amidst the Gaza predicament. Furthermore, he disclosed that the government is considering getting involved in a cooperative initiative, spearheaded by Jordan, to deliver food assistance using parachutes into Gaza.
Contrarily, Brendan Howlin, Labour’s spokesperson for foreign relations, criticised this method, deeming it as completely ineffective. He lamented the inadequate delivery of meals to a population of two million from the air, asserting that they are not being delivered to the necessary locations or are not accessible. He posed the question of how they can guarantee timely food delivery to avert mass death.
Discussion in the Leaders’ Questions and earlier inquiries regarding foreign affairs largely centred around the Gaza war and looming famine. The Tánaiste suggested that there may be consideration from the international community to engage UN forces to secure aid convoys into Gaza.
Martin cautioned that maintaining pressure on Israel to facilitate aid trucks into Gaza is paramount for the EU and world leaders. He condemned using food drops as an alternative to the apparent solution of opening borders to allow for adequate aid. He declared that the region is on the verge of a famine and societal collapse, necessitating relentless pressure on Israel.
During the Leaders’ Questions, he concurred with the EU vice president, Josep Borrell, commenting in agreement with Holly Cairns, leader of the Social Democrats, that other nations should halt military supply to Israel to resolve the conflict. Cairns criticised nations in the EU as well as the US, blaming them for the death of 30,000 Palestinians due to their bombs and bullets.
She highlighted the stark increase in Germany’s arms export to Israel since October, now accounting for nearly a third of Israel’s total military import. The TD of Cork South-West highlighted that the UK’s concern about potential violations of international human rights law by Israel have not deterred it from selling them weapons.
She condemned the normalisation of mass death and destruction by western nations in Gaza and accused Israel of purposefully blocking thousands of aids-carrying trucks lined up at border crossings from entering, which she likened to choosing to starve children.
The statement was made: “Despite many Western nations losing their moral compass, we, on the other hand, do not have to, given that we are in the minority and we are advocating for Gaza”. The deputy prime minister emphasised that Ireland has managed to maintain its moral compass and called for other countries to cease sending arms to bring about a conclusion to the hostilities.
Israel, according to the Tánaiste, takes a careless approach with not only its allies, but also the region and, critically, the lives of ordinary Gazans and residents of Gaza. This lack of care contributes to daily chaos further leading to the complete societal breakdown within Gaza.
The priority of the government, he stated, was to establish an urgent humanitarian ceasefire. Cooperation has been evident from the Palestinian Authority, Saudi Arabian foreign minister, Jordanians, Egyptians and others.
He mentioned that in the past week, he deployed a pair of officials to collaborate with Jordan in relation to the emerging Arab peace plan, which is about to take shape. The plan, he stated briefly, is vital within the potential ceasefire context in the upcoming days.
However, Ms Cairns urged the Tánaiste to stop the meaningless words and recognise the Palestinian state. Mr Martin’s response was that he advocates for substantive action, which is what the government is pursuing. He charged her with trying to score points and attempting to portray herself as more righteous than everyone else in Parliament on the matter. He believes such an approach should be abandoned.
Independent member Cathal Berry raised concerns about rumours that the government was contemplating participating in air drops. He highlighted that if the parliament tries to impose sanctions on Israel, Ireland and possibly other companies may find themselves exposed to retaliatory sanctions. This, he believes, would significantly hinder the lives of soldiers, humanitarian workers, and diplomats on the ground.
In contrast, the act of air dropping would guarantee food for women and children, and also send a symbolic yet potent message to the Israeli parliament, the Knesset.
Mr Martin assured him that the country was actively investigating the prospect of contributing to food aid via parachute drops and that he had discussed this with Jordan’s foreign minister, as Jordan is spearheading the initiative.
Earlier, he informed Mr Howlin that the amount of international humanitarian aid entering Gaza by land had fallen by half following provisional measure orders by the ICJ (International Court for Justice). “The decreased security situation led the WFP (World Food Programme) to stop distributing aid in North Gaza,” he noted. He added that after Ireland’s intervention, funding to UNWRA, the UN humanitarian aid organisation in Gaza, was being restored.
Last month, Ireland unveiled a €20 million fund, the European Commission began distributing €50 million, and Canada also began renewing its funding to the agency, after the withdrawal due to allegations of employees’ affiliation with Hamas. He expressed that there was some progress, but stressed the need for the international community to maintain the pressure to ensure the delivery of aid to Gaza.
The Wexford TD questioned the effectiveness of the pressure, pointing out it had actually resulted in a drop in aid, and asked about the possibility of an independent investigation into the deaths of over 100 people when Israeli forces fired on crowds surrounding aid trucks entering Gaza. Mr. Martin echoed the EU and UN calls for a fair, unbiased investigation to expose the facts of this horrifying incident and bring those responsible to account, emphasising that international humanitarian law clearly states Israel’s obligation to protect civilians and ensure basic services in Gaza.
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