A HIGH COURT case has accused the Government of breaching international law and being complicit in genocide due to the contentious issue of so-called Israeli flyovers, which see weaponry being flown over Irish airspace and later delivered to Israel.

Online publication The Ditch – which is taking the case alongside campaign group Uplift and Irish surgeon Dr Ahmed El Mokhallalati – has reported that numerous flights carrying munitions have flown through Irish airspace and landed in Israel.

Human rights lawyers Phoenix Law lodged documents on behalf of the group today, arguing that the Irish government is allegedly “complicit in Israel’s genocide” in Gaza over the reported continued use of Irish airspace to transport Israeli weaponry.

The group has claimed that the transport minister Darragh O’Brien has failed to investigate allegations that the airspace above Ireland is being used to deliver weapons and parts of weapons to the Israeli Defence Forces.

They further allege that Ireland is in breach of its constitution to allow flights to carry munitions through the airspace and that, despite the acknowledgement from government that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, the flights have not been probed. 

The issue had been raised with Tánaiste Simon Harris previously, when People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy walked across the Dáil chamber with documents that he claimed proved tonnes of weapons are being flown through Irish airspace. 

Government has previously argued that there is no existing legislation to allow random inspections of aircraft. Aeroplane operators must first seek permission, or a licence, from government should they seek to transport munitions through Irish airspace.

O’Brien and his predecessor Eamon Ryan have said the airlines in question do not seek permission to use Ireland’s airspace. The minister has not provided a timeframe for the introduction of laws to prevent this taking place without permission.

He told The Journal last month that government was taking claims that “munitions of war” are being flown to Israel from Ireland “very seriously”.