Zak Hania, a man of Irish-Palestinian descent stuck in Gaza, has his fate in the care of Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin, according to his wife, who condemned the lack of government action towards his evacuation. Her statement was conveyed at a demonstration assembled by the Ireland Alliance for Palestine outside the US embassy in Dublin. The gathering, which hosted approximately 100 protesters, criticised Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s impending visit to the White House on St Patrick’s Day.
The protesters suggested the traditional shamrock presentation to the US president meant to mark St Patrick’s Day should not go ahead. Other organisations present at the demonstration included the Mothers Against Genocide and the Irish Anti-War Movement. Some protesters accused US president Joe Biden of endorsing genocide and “killing children”.
Display boards featuring shamrock images and handprint paintings bearing names of children slain in Gaza and other occupied Palestinian areas formed part of the demonstration. Batoul, wife of Zak Hania, wished she could have been present at the demonstration, however, she is dealing with recent traumatic events, stated Freda Hughes, previous chairwoman of the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign.
Zak Hania, who relocated to Ireland in 1998 and lived in Castleknock, west Dublin, for some time before returning to Gaza about ten years ago, has been stuck in Rafah after safely evacuating his wife and four children to Ireland last year.
In her statement delivered by Ms Hughes, Batoul directly questioned the role of Micheál Martin. “Yes, it’s over four months now that Zak has been seeking assistance from Irish embassies in Cairo and Ramallah, requesting safe passage for us to Ireland. More than four months have passed since the Department of Foreign Affairs began efforts for my husband’s removal. And what transpired? Nothing. Though we managed to escape, Zak remains stranded, living in constant fear of death.”
Currently, Zak resides in Rafah, a region where over two million individuals are experiencing a severe shortage of vital resources such as drinking water, food, and medication. Zak is also without the essential medication he needs to manage his hypertension, making him feel left behind and ignored.
Addressing Micheál Martin, she queries if Zak’s nationality would influence how hard the government fought to retrieve him. If he were of Irish descent, could that make a difference in their approach? Would his connection, as a son or brother, kindle a stronger desire to rescue him, understanding the situation he faces now is a matter of life and death?
Expressing gratitude, she acknowledged the support from the Irish people and, to an extent, the Irish Government which stood up for their rights more than some nations.
However, she emphasized that they are Zak’s family, unable to bear the oppressive injustice of his circumstances. She firmly believes that the Government and the Foreign Affairs Department could exert more pressure on Israel to facilitate Zak’s release from Gaza.