Taoiseach Micheál Martin has accused Israel of a war crime over blocking aid from entering Gaza.
Speaking at the Global Ireland summit in Dublin, he said it was “simply wrong, in principle, and in law, to inflict hunger and suffering on a civilian population, whatever the circumstances”.
“This behaviour clearly constitutes a war crime,” he said.
Mr Martin said it had been over 50 days since food, medicines, and other essential supplies had been allowed into the area.
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“Israel is continuing a humanitarian blockade (and) is pushing Gaza closer to a hunger crisis. This must be lifted immediately,” he said.
Mr Martin said Ireland “remained convinced that the implementation of a two-State solution is the only way to establish lasting peace and security for both Israel and Palestine, and the wider region”.
The Taoiseach’s comments were set out in his prepared script for his address to an audience of senior Irish diplomats, academics and business leaders at the summit at Dublin Castle.
Speaking later to reporters, Mr Martin said that “to conduct a war in that manner, to deprive an entire population food, of the necessities of life, of basic life, in my view, constitutes a war crime and Israel should desist from this”.
The Taoiseach called for the release of all remaining Israel hostages held by Hamas as well as for the ceasefire to be restored and for an uninterrupted supply of aid and fuel to be permitted to enter Gaza.
“The world is looking on, appalled, at the level of suffering that is currently on going within Gaza,” he said. “The Palestinians in Gaza have suffered enough — far, far too much. And from any human perspective, this is something that has to stop.”
Asked whether Israel should face economic consequences if it was perpetrating war crimes as he suggested, the Taoiseach said the world was divided on this issue and he was seeking to be pragmatic.
“There is no point in making predictions or suggestions when... there’s different perspectives within the European Union, as I’ve experienced as foreign minister, indeed, as I have experienced as Taoiseach.”
He said there were sufficient countries around the world now who clearly realised that the suffering in Gaza had gone on for far too long.
International humanitarian officials have warned that Gaza is on the brink of catastrophe as food and fuel runs out due to a total Israeli blockade imposed on March 2nd.
Dr Mike Ryan, executive director of the World Health Organisation’s health emergencies programme, last week described what is happening to the people of Gaza as an “abomination”.
“We are starving the children of Gaza, because if we don’t do something about it, we are complicit in what is happening before our very eyes,” he said.
Israel has argued that the blockade of aid is lawful and that Gaza still has enough available provisions.
Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Monday announced plans for a new surge of troops into Gaza for what he described as “concluding moves” in the war.
The operation is envisioned to involve moving the majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million population into an area in the south of the Strip.
The Taoiseach said on Tuesday that Israel could make its own response to his comments but he was just calling the situation in Gaza as he saw it.
“I’m very taken back again, if one could even be at this stage. First of all, the blockade itself is appalling, but now the idea an enforced occupation, a continued occupation is unthinkable," he said. -Additional reporting by agencies
