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TÁNAISTE SIMON HARRIS has described the forced starvation in Gaza as “repulsive”, as Ireland joins other European countries in demanding that Israel abandon plans to escalate the war.
Ireland jointly signed a letter with Iceland, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain, strongly condemning Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to expand the occupation of Gaza city.
Israel’s security cabinet approved the plan earlier this week.
The war on the Gaza Strip in Palestine has already killed more than 60,000 people, destroyed much of the territory’s infrastructure and pushed the territory of some two million Palestinians toward famine.
Ahead of the security cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said Israel planned to retake control over the entire territory and eventually hand it over to a governing body other than the current Hamas government.
Harris described it as “an extraordinarily dangerous moment”.
“We’re living at a time where children are starving,” he told reporters today.
“There had been a lot of effort by a lot of countries, including Ireland, to try to get to a moment of de-escalation, where finally there could be a ceasefire, humanitarian aid could flow, hostages could be released.
“We now see the Netanyahu government take an extraordinarily dangerous step in the absolute wrong direction.”
Thousands of Israelis took to the streets in Tel Aviv yesterday to call for an end to the war, a day after their government vowed to capture all of Gaza, and escalate conflict even in places where hostages are.
Demonstrators waved signs and held up pictures of hostages still being held in the Palestinian territory as they called on the government to secure their release.
The Tánaiste said today: “I’ve noted overnight the very significant unrest and upset that there is in Israel in relation to this.
“We’re now seeing thousands of people in Israel take to the streets and say to their government, ‘not in my name’.”
Harris also said that Ireland “will continue to use every lever available” and will work with other countries to reverse Netanyahu’s campaign.
He said Irish people “know what famine is like”.
“It’s ingrained in our mindset and our history, and to be seeing a modern day famine take place in the 21st century is utterly repulsive and repugnant to everything any decent person would stand for.”
In the last 24 hours, at least 37 people were killed by Israel in Gaza, including 30 civilians who were waiting to collect aid.
Thousands of Palestinians congregate daily near food distribution points in Gaza, including four managed by the US and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
Since launching in late May, its operations have been marred by almost-daily reports of Israeli forces firing on those waiting to collect aid.
The joint letter signed by Ireland and others today says the intensification of the occupation of Gaza “will only deepen the humanitarian crisis and further endanger the remaining hostages’ lives”.
“This operation will lead to an unacceptable high toll of deaths and the forced displacement of nearly one million Palestinian civilians.
“We firmly reject any demographic or territorial changes in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Actions in this regard constitute a flagrant violation of international law and international humanitarian law,” the countries said.
“The recognition of both Palestine and Israel is the best security guarantee for both and will ensure stability for the whole region.
“We continue to call for an immediate ceasefire agreement and a permanent end to hostilities, for the immediate release of all hostages at the hands of Hamas and for the rapid, unimpeded and large-scale entry of humanitarian aid.”
Israeli restrictions on the entry of supplies into Gaza since the start of the war nearly two years ago have led to shortages of food and essential supplies, including medicine and fuel, which hospitals require to power their generators.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel “has no choice but to finish the job and complete the defeat of Hamas”.
He also told reporters today that he has no plans to occupy Gaza, and vowed to create safe corridors for aid.
“Our goal is not to occupy Gaza, but to establish a civilian administration in the Strip that is not affiliated with Hamas or the Palestinian Authority,” he said.
“We will designate safe corridors for the passage and distribution of aid in the Gaza Strip,” he said ahead of an operation to seize Gaza City.
Meanwhile, a senior UN official warned the operation would “likely trigger another calamity” with consequences beyond the embattled territory.
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