Tánaiste condemns ‘inflammatory’ Israeli comments about resettling Palestinians outside Gaza

The Tánaiste, Micheál Martin, has accused senior ministers in Israel’s government of making “utterly unacceptable and inflammatory” comments about the potential resettlement of Palestinians outside of Gaza.

He stressed that Gaza was Palestinian land and “integral” to the creation of a future state of Palestine.

Earlier this week, Israel’s finance minister Bezalel Smotrich called on Palestinian residents of Gaza to leave, while its national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir suggested that the war in Gaza presented an “opportunity to concentrate on encouraging the migration of the residents of Gaza”.

In a statement on the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, Mr Martin stressed that the only way achieve “long-term peace, stability and security” for both Palestinians and Israelis was “a sustained and serious commitment to a two-state solution… as a concrete reality”.

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[ Humanitarian crisis in southern Gaza city of Rafah worsening, say Palestinians ]

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His criticism of the resettlement suggestions echoed condemnation from other countries, notably the United States which criticised the rhetoric as “inflammatory and irresponsible”.

Mr Martin noted that the war was entering its fourth month and he highlighed “the need for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire”.

He also called for “the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages” and stressed that “full, safe and unhindered humanitarian access is more urgent than ever”. He pointed out that events across the region in recent days served as “a stark reminder of the potential for further escalation” of the violence and he warned a “widening of this conflict would have devastating consequences for the region and for the world”.

“The international community simply cannot allow further civilian suffering and deaths. I urge all parties in the region to exercise restraint and avoid escalation,” he said. He pointed to attacks on shipping in the Red Sea by the Houthis in Yemen which he said were “not only putting the lives of the crews in danger but are having an increasingly serious impact on global trade, with all the consequences that has for the lives and livelihoods of communities across the globe”.

[ ‘It’s a daily struggle’: Half of residents in Gaza at risk of starving, UN warns ]

[ US threats unlikely to scupper Houthi disruption of shipping routes or dull their support of Gaza ]

Mr Martin added that “as always, it is the poorest and most vulnerable communities – in the Middle East, Africa and globally – that are the most severely affected” and he said the “trajectory must be reversed”.

He called on the international community and parties in the region to “redouble efforts to end the conflict in Gaza”.

“But our ambition should not be limited to de-escalation. We must take concrete steps to achieve long-term peace, stability and security for Palestinians and Israelis and for the region as a whole. This can only be done through a sustained and serious commitment to a two-state solution; not as an oft-repeated shibboleth but as a concrete reality. In that context, the recent comments by Israeli government ministers calling for the resettlement of Palestinians outside of Gaza are utterly unacceptable and inflammatory. Gaza is Palestinian land and is an integral part of a future state of Palestine.”

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