Israel has become ‘blinded by rage’, says Taoiseach, as he promises Ireland will take more action

It is very clear that Israel is not listening to “any country in the world”, including the United States, and has become “blinded by rage”, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said.

He told the Dáil on Tuesday that Israel was going to make the situation “much worse for their own security” in the long-term by “going down the path they’re going”.

Speaking during Leaders’ Questions, Mr Varadkar said there was a “serious risk of a massacre” occurring in Rafah if a ground assault were to occur.

“That would be a gross violation of international law on top of all of the other violations of international law, which Israel is responsible for,” he said.

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The Fine Gael leader said the Government had taken action and would take “even more action”.

[ Israel-Hamas war: Biden joins calls for Israel to halt Rafah offensive ]

“But, it’s very clear to me that the Israeli Government does not listen to us, doesn’t listen to the world, probably doesn’t even listen to the Americans any more and that’s what makes the situation all the more dangerous, and all the more worrying,” he added.

Mr Varadkar also said the Government was in discussions with other EU member states, with Spain being the main country, about recognising Palestinian statehood.

The Taoiseach was responding to Labour leader Ivana Bacik, who said “Armageddon” was being witnessed in Gaza.

“There is nowhere left for a desperate civilian population to go in Gaza,” she said.

Ms Bacik said since the Hamas attack on October 7th, “we have seen the loss of civilian life in Gaza on an unthinkable and unconscionable scale”. The Dublin Bay South TD said there was “so much more Government can and should be doing”.

Earlier on Tuesday Minister for Enterprise Simon Coveney said Israel is “behaving like a rogue state” in Gaza.

“It is not acceptable effectively to behave like a monster to defeat a monster which is what Israel are now doing,” he said in Dublin on Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters on his arrival to Tuesday morning’s Cabinet meeting, Mr Coveney said Israel is ignoring the International Court of Justice and seems to be “even ignoring their closest allies” who are calling for restraint and seeking a basis for a ceasefire and an end to what he said was “this savagery that is continuing in Gaza”.

He said the calls for a ceasefire needed to be intensified and that it was “very clear” civilians in Gaza had nowhere to go, many of them having been displaced multiple times.

“The idea that you can simply continue to move them on when most of the Gaza Strip has been destroyed is not consistent with international humanitarian law,” he said.

The October 7th attacks were terrorist and “abhorrent”, Mr Coveney said, adding Israel had a right to defend itself.

“But it does not have a right to do what it is continuing to do in Gaza now where there is huge civilian casualties, women and children being blown up on a nightly basis,” with a military effort moving to the last area where people had moved for their safety, he said.

“The voice of the international community now needs to get stronger, in particular countries who are allies of Israel need to be firmer and more insistent on being listened to,” he said, adding it was an opportunity for the UN Security Council to act, potentially on a statement that could prevent further human suffering.

He said Ireland had been trying to use its voice in the EU to “stop this madness” and that it needed to continue to do so “forcefully”.

Mr Coveney said the EU position had moved towards the Irish position – which is to call for a ceasefire and put pressure on Israel to pull back and seek a peace agreement that can prevent further ground incursions by IDF soldiers.

[ War on Hamas galvanises Israelis in quest for ‘total victory’ ]

US president Joe Biden has stepped up calls on Israel, a close ally, to halt its Rafah offensive and commit to a ceasefire.

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin strongly condemned the action in the confined area of southern Gaza, adding: “It is unacceptable what is happening and we have to do what we can which we will through the various forums we are members of, particularly the European Union and the United Nations.”

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said it was “long past time” that the Israeli ambassador to Ireland was “sent packing”.

Ms McDonald said while the Government had described Israel’s attack on Rafah as inhumane, “why then is the Israeli ambassador still in Ireland, justifying genocide on RTÉ?”

The Dublin Central TD added that it was time European states, Britain and the US “stopped arming Israel’s genocide”.

Speaking to reporters in Leinster House on Tuesday, People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett said Israel was planning “yet another slaughter and massacre”. He said Mr Coveney’s comments came even though Ireland was refusing to impose any sanction on Israel which he said was “unconscionable”.

“Not a single western government has imposed any sanction on them,” he said, with “weasel words of concern” offered instead.

“The only thing that can stop another slaughter in Gaza is if western governments, starting with our own, impose sanctions on them,” he said, reiterating his party’s call for the Israeli ambassador to Ireland to be expelled. He said people should protest at an upcoming national demonstration this Saturday.

Labour senator Rebecca Moynihan said what was happening in Gaza echoed what happened in Srebrenica in the 1990s, when people were bombarded in an area they had moved to to avoid violence. She said Government rhetoric needed to be followed up at an EU level and called for peacekeepers to be sent to Gaza to ensure people’s safety and access for aid. She said children were being starved to death due to the shortage of supplies, including baby formula.

“We cannot let another Srebrenica happen,” she said.

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