Irish deputy premier says Israel is ‘reckless’ with Gazan lives

Israel is “reckless” with the lives of civilians in Gaza, Ireland’s deputy premier has said.

Micheal Martin also said Ireland is “actively pursuing” the possibility of contributing to multinational efforts of airdropping aid into Gaza.

However, he said the most effective way to get meaningful volumes of aid into Gaza would be for Israel to open corridors and checkpoints on the ground.

Speaking in the Irish parliament on Thursday, Mr Martin said: “Many countries are trying to bring an end to the conflict and I know that.

“I have no doubt that many in the US want this to end – but Israel is reckless with its own allies.

“And Israel is reckless with the region but above all, it’s reckless in terms of the lives of ordinary Gazans and the people of Gaza.

“Absolutely reckless in terms of allowing what’s happening to happen on a daily basis.”

He said there had been a complete collapse of societal cohesion and order in Gaza.

Mr Martin said Ireland’s priority is an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and a peace plan.

He was responding to Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns who said the war in Gaza had revealed powerful Western states to be “immoral hypocrites”.

Speaking during Leaders’ Questions, she told Mr Martin: “They only value international law when it’s their enemies – not their allies – that are in breach.

“Their shameful record in Gaza amounts to the normalisation of mass murder and devastation. They wag their fingers at the Israeli government occasionally but continue to support them and arm them.

“It’s their bombs and their bullets that have killed more than 30,000 Palestinians.

“It’s not just the United States that is engaged in this, arms exports from Germany to Israel have increased tenfold since October.

“Weapons from Germany now make up nearly 30% of Israel’s total military imports. Genocide is a nice little earner for the German arms industry.”

Ms Cairns said the UK had also not paused the supply of weapons despite raising concerns about possible breaches of international human rights law.

She said she acknowledged the Government had condemned “Israel’s brutality” but added: “People all over Ireland are still waiting for you to follow those words with actions.”

She said the parliament could enact laws that would make it an offence to import goods originating in occupied territories and impose restrictions on the investment of Irish assets in Israeli settlements.

She also said the Government could recognise the state of Palestine and issue travel bans for Israeli settlers.

Mr Martin, who is the Irish foreign minister, said Ireland has “not lost its moral compass” and said he agreed that other countries should stop sending arms to Israel if they want the conflict to end.

He said that Ireland had shown leadership in continuing to support the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

He added that Ireland had made a “robust legal submission” to the International Court of Justice on Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories.

Mr Martin said Ireland is working with other European countries on the subject of recognising Palestine.