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LAST UPDATE | 11 May 2021
FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER Simon Coveney told the Israeli Ambassador at a meeting today that the loss of life in Gaza last night was “completely unacceptable”.
Ambassador Ophir Kariv had been summoned to a meeting with minister after Israel unleashed new air strikes on Gaza, killing a number of militants and civilians.
As of last night, 28 Palestinians – including 10 children and a woman – were killed in Gaza, most by air strikes, health officials there said.
The Israeli military said at least 16 of the dead were militants. Two Israelis have been killed in rocket attacks from militants.
Last night Coveney tweeted that the cycle of violence must end, stating that Ireland will continue to raise concerns in the UN Security Council, where Ireland is now a member.
In a meeting that lasted 45 minutes this afternoon, the minister is understood to have reiterated Ireland’s firm stance that the loss of life among civilians in Gaza last night was completely unacceptable.
He told the ambassador that Israel has a duty to protect civilians and comply with international humanitarian law.
The minister reiterated his condemnation of the firing of rockets from Gaza and the impact on Israeli civilians.
He urged the Israeli authorities to urgently take action to de-escalate the situation.
I’ve been in @UNRWA schools in #Gaza. Killing of children in conflict is never acceptable. Israel should be condemned for targeting Gaza with such tragic consequences.
— Simon Coveney (@simoncoveney) May 11, 2021
Firing rockets from Gaza must be condemned, but so too should such a brutal response. This violence must end. https://t.co/qDMj4QjiRI
The Ambassador of the State of Palestine to Ireland has condemned the Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, stating that intentionally directing attacks against a civilian population is a war crime under the Rome Statute.
He said the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs have called on the International Criminal Court to speed up the processes surrounding their investigations of Israeli war crimes.
Ambassador Abdalmajid said: “Firing into a densely populated civilian area is obscene. We have already seen 9 children and dozens more people killed, and watched the traumatic scenes today as their families buried them. The international community must act now to sanction this apartheid regime.”
Green Party Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Senator Vincent P. Martin said the attacks in Gaza were an “extraordinary obscenity and it is deeply offensive for the Israeli security forces to turn a mosque on a holy site in Jerusalem into a battleground”.
“The totally disproportionate and aggressive military response from the Israeli security forces can only serve to fuel tensions and provoke further violence. However meeting the Israeli response with further violence will not resolve this crisis.
“The UN Security Council, the EU, US President Joe Biden and all democracies must use their collective influential voices to call out such aggressive, provocative acts and insist that same will not be tolerated.”
Senator Martin commended the Irish Government for issuing a much needed and forthright statement yesterday when Coveney described developments as “shocking and aggressive”.
Confrontation escalates
The confrontation between Israel and Hamas escalated again this evening as Israel unleashed new air strikes on Gaza while militants barraged Israel with hundreds of rockets.
The exchange killed a number of militants and civilians in Gaza and at least three Israelis.
The barrage of rockets from the Gaza Strip and air strikes into the territory continued almost non-stop throughout the day, in what appeared to be some of the most intense fighting between Israel and Hamas since their 2014 war.
The fire was so relentless that Israel’s Iron Dome rocket defence system seemed to be overwhelmed, while columns of smoke rose from many places in Gaza.
This evening, the violence extended to Tel Aviv, which came under fire from a barrage of rockets launched from the Gaza Strip.
Israel’s transportation authority said it was closing the country’s main international airport near the city.
Hamas said it launched a total of 130 rockets, its most intense strike so far, in response to Israel’s destruction of a high-rise building in Gaza earlier in the evening.
The sound of the outgoing rockets could be heard in Gaza. As the rockets rose into the skies, mosques across Gaza blared with chants of “God is great”, “victory to Islam” and “resistance”.
Since sundown on Monday, 28 Palestinians — including 10 children and a woman — have been killed in Gaza, most by air strikes, health officials there said. The Israeli military said at least 16 of the dead were militants.
With reporting by Press Association.
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Flower of Scotland should be way up that list. It’s a belter
@James Beattie: Agreed. It’d be my number 1, followed by La Marseillaise.
Ireland’s Call ? pure undiluted Muck .
Ireland’s Call is an embarrassment. Shockingly bad songwriting from the normally great Mr Coulter.
@JusticeForJoe: agreed.. technically not a national anthem either
@Fi Harte: not even technically
@JusticeForJoe: Fully agree with you.
Flower of Scotland all day long for me.
Ireland’s Call is not our, or any nation’s, national anthem. If our national team is playing they should play their own national anthem.
@Boyne Sharky: because its.not just our (Republic) national team, its a team representing the whole island.
@Barry Sorensen: We have our 32 counties represent Ireland in other sports and they use our national anthem and national flag of Ireland.
@Daniel Roche: which sports?
@OnlyHereForTheComments: Shinty-Hurling International Series, international football series.
Ireland’s Call is the worst thing to happen to the country since the Black and Tans
Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau is class.
The irish one is awful.. It More like a hoot for school boys.
The Italian one is like from a great opera. Except that it needs trained classical voices to sing and not the fans dog howling..
The Welsh one is beautiful and a billion times better then the dreadful tone deaf irish one.
Flower of Scotland should be number 2.
Ireland s call is the best we got.better than Danny boy which would put the players to sleep or 4 green fields and certainly better than the rose of Tralee. Why not the old reliable fields of athenry. We all love that one
@Michael Murray: Nothing wrong with our national anthem.
Ireland’s call is a bit cringey why not Danny boy instead
@John Byrne: Maybe cause it was written by a English man that never set foot in Ireland or maybe it’s a crap song and our national anthem is way better and should only be use for Ireland games.
@Daniel Roche: Amhrán na bhFiann is a shocking song
@John Byrne: if you think Danny boy is a great song,I’m more than happy with our national anthem.
@John Byrne: but still our National Anthem. Point missed.
@Daniel Roche: was the man not from derry who wrote this song ?
@Lee Ridley: no.
@Lee Ridley: Nope. The guy who wrote Ireland’s call, Phil Coulter, is from Derry. Danny Boy’s original title was the Londonderry Air.
I’d have both Irish anthems in 5th & 6th
Sorry, while Flower of Scotland is a good rousing anthem, the fact that it says of the English “proud Edward’s army sent them homewards to think again”.
We’ll, a few years ago, they had a chance to send them homewards without having to left a finger in the independence referendum but chose not to. So the sentiments in “Flower of Scotland ” have rung somewhat hollow ever since!
I wonder if Cork had got a mention in Irelands Call would it be a more likeable in general.
I love it.
@Brian Farrell: No,I’m fairly sure they just don’t like it like the majority of this country.
Flower of Scotland is even worse than Ireland’s call. I’d rate the Welsh anthem after the French and Italian, and above the other three
When Flower of Scotland is played in Murrayfield against England, you would almost feel like jumping on the next plane and invading England yourself! Ireland’s call was made to win awards – not to be sung by burly Irish rugby players! They had a great chance to have a rousing going into battle anthem and instead it’s more like a lament!
What drugs are ye on and can I have some??
ireland’s call is an unremarkable turd, god save the queen an honourable second to the marseillaise
Eimear Considine’s point about the key change in Ireland’s call is valid. When you are not musically trained it can lead to horrendous results. La Marseillaise which has 2 key changes is regularly destroyed by well-meaning French supporters and athletes.
have your say