Tánaiste urges EU to ‘go further’ in calling for ceasefire amid mounting concern over suffering in Gaza hospitals

Tánaiste Micheál Martin has called on the European Union to “go further” in calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, as foreign ministers met to discuss Israel’s invasion amid rising concern over deepening civilian suffering and attacks on medical facilities in the narrow Palestinian territory.

“We welcome the statement by the European Union in terms of continuing to call for humanitarian pauses in respect of getting aid into Gaza. However, we in Ireland believe it should go further,” Mr Martin said as he arrived at the meeting in Brussels.

“We need a humanitarian ceasefire, and we need it urgently to alleviate the situation for ordinary Gazans within Gaza itself, and to get humanitarian aid in at the scale that is simply required and of course, vitally, medical supplies.”

On the eve of the meeting, the EU’s foreign affairs chief issued a statement on behalf of the EU calling for “immediate pauses in hostilities and the establishment of humanitarian corridors” and flagged serious concerns about the situation in Gaza’s hospitals.

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“These hostilities are severely impacting hospitals and taking a horrific toll on civilians and medical staff,” high representative Josep Borrell said in the statement.

Mr Martin called on Hamas to release hostages and said on Tuesday he was due to meet the family of eight-year-old Irish citizen Emily Hand, who is thought to be held captive.

Mr Martin will travel to Egypt, Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory later this week. He will also meet Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry and secretary general of the Arab League Aboul Gheit. In Israel, he will meet foreign minister Eli Cohen and indicated he hopes to visit the south of the country and the communities affected by the October 7th attacks. He will also meet the Palestinian foreign minister Malki and also hopes to see Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas.

Sinn Féin has said it will bring a motion before the Dáil calling on Ireland to refer Israel to the International Criminal Court (ICC) this week.

Mr Martin said the situation was already under investigation by the ICC. “It is important that we understand and affirm the independence and impartiality of that court and do not in any way seek to undermine that independence and that impartiality,” he said.

The Opposition is trying to ratchet up the pressure on the Government, with the Dáil preparing to vote on a Social Democrats motion on imposing sanctions on Israel in response to the “death and devastation being wrought by the Israeli government in Gaza”.

The motion, which will be voted on this Wednesday, calls on the Dáil to agree that Israel has committed multiple breaches of international law in its assault on Gaza and decries the “ambivalent” response by the international community as “shameful”, specifically calling out European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

In advance of the vote, Social Democrats foreign affairs spokesman Gary Gannon also sought to bring pressure on Government backbenchers who called for the expulsion of Russian ambassador Yury Filatov last year, after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

In letters to almost 50 Government TDs and Senators who signed public or draft petitions last year calling for the expulsion of Mr Filatov – the majority of whom are Fianna Fáil members – Mr Gannon quoted TDs Jim O’Callaghan and Neale Richmond.

“The carnage of civilians in Gaza is barbaric and shameful. As a country, we cannot sit idly by and do nothing,” Mr Gannon wrote. “I hope that you will show the same commendable support to the people of Gaza, as you have shown to the people of Ukraine and vote with your conscience on Wednesday in support of our motion.”

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar met Thomas Hand, the father of Emily Hand, in Dublin on Monday evening.

Pledging the Government would do anything it could to secure her release, Mr Varadkar said: “One thing I will be saying to him [Mr Hand] is that Emily Hand, who will be nine years old this week, is an Irish citizen, an Irish passport holder and we will do all that we can to find out information about her whereabouts.”

He said: “Hopefully she is alive and well. I believe she is in my heart and I know her father does too.”

In a statement after the meeting, Mr Varadkar said: “I assured the Hand family that the Government will do all in its power to secure the release of Emily and to assist the Hand family, and I emphasised Ireland’s call on Hamas to release all hostages immediately without any preconditions.

“I committed to continue calling for all hostages held by Hamas to be released immediately, and I also committed to continue raising the issue of hostages with international agencies and Governments, and through any other avenues which might help.

“I also used the opportunity of the meeting with the Israeli Ambassador to raise the issue of Irish-Palestinian dual citizens in Gaza who have asked to leave the territory.”

A Government statement said Mr Varadkar also raised Emily Hand’s case in Paris last week with the Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry, the Palestinian prime minister Mohammad Shtayyeh, and Prince Rashid, chief adviser to the King of Jordan and the head of Jordan’s humanitarian operation. Assistance for those Irish citizens who wish to leave Gaza was also discussed during these meetings.

Of the planned Social Democrats and Sinn Féin motions in the Dáil, Mr Varadkar said the Government will not support either of them and a decision on the Coalition’s response would be made at Cabinet on Tuesday. He said the position of the Opposition parties “makes no sense”.

“On the one hand, they want us to do everything we can to get our citizens out of Gaza, to get Emily Hand released and to be part of a peace process that can bring peace to Israel and Palestine.

“At the same time they want to cut off links with Israel by expelling their ambassador which would result in our ambassador being expelled from there.”

On referring Israel to the ICC Mr Varadkar said “it’s already in the case that an investigation is underway.”

Meanwhile, the Israeli Ambassador to Ireland Dana Erlich said maintaining bilateral relations between both nations was important “especially during a time like this”.

“I’m here as a diplomat to represent my people. My people include these over 240 hostages in Gaza, the people in Israel who are still sheltering from the rockets of Hamas every day,” she said.

Ms Erlich added she was worried about “extreme voices” engaged in what she described as “anti-Semitic discourse”, referencing a specific chant often heard at pro-Palestinian marches.

“What I am worried [about] is the extreme voices that we hear in the streets, not just in the Dáil but in the streets of Ireland, who are calling: ‘From the river to the sea’. That means that Israel will not exist.

“I am worried about those voices and I would not want to see the political discourse also get involved in that extreme anti-Semitic discourse.”