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LAST UPDATE | 6 May
TAOISEACH MICHEÁL MARTIN has condemned Israel’s siege of the Gaza Strip in Palestine as a war crime, insisting the blockade must be lifted immediately in order to prevent “a hunger crisis”.
Multiple aid agencies and UN officials have warned that people are starving to death in the territory, which has been under a total siege since early March.
“There simply must be an immediate cease fire, the release of all remaining hostages and the resumption of unhindered humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza, and at an unprecedented scale,” Martin said in a speech at a Global Ireland conference this afternoon in Dublin.
“Israel’s continuing humanitarian blockade is pushing Gaza closer to a hunger crisis,” Martin said.
“This must be lifted immediately. It is 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.
“Fundamentally it is a breach of international law, and to conduct the war in that manner, to deprive an entire population of food, of the necessities of life – of basic life – in my view constitutes a war crime.”
Martin also said it was “wholly unacceptable” that Israel is planning the mass displacement of people in Gaza, or that its government is considering “permanent occupation”.
“Not only is it an affront to decency and to international law, history tells us it offers absolutely no solution.
“From any human perspective, this is something that has to stop.”
Martin went on to say that he is aware that there is a divide on the issue globally and within the European Union. He said that Ireland’s position has always been guided by international humanitarian law.
Tánaiste Simon Harris said earlier today that he is “sickened” by Israel’s continued blocking of aid meant for Gaza and argued that the “world is not doing enough”.
“We cannot and will not stand idly by and let this happen,” he said.
“When people look back at this moment in history, they’re going to look back and they’re going to say the world did not do enough. Be clear about that, the world is not doing enough,” he added.
The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs was also speaking at the Global Ireland conference in Dublin Castle, where he delivered a speech about Ireland’s role in the world and this government’s foreign policy.
Harris told those gathered that Israel’s latest plan to expand its operation in Gaza is “extraordinarily alarming”. He appealed for Israel to comply with international law.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister Yoav Gallant are currently wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for their prosecution of the war in Gaza.
Among the crimes alleged by the ICC prosecutor are extermination and the use of starvation as a weapon of war.
The Tánaiste also spoke about the need for an end to Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine.
He said Russia’s actions represent a “serious threat to global peace and security” and stressed that any negotiations on peace must have Ukraine’s voice at the centre.
He argued that one of the most important long-term security guarantees that can be offered to Ukraine is membership of the European Union.
“It is time to bring Ukraine into the European family where it belongs,” he said to applause.
Also speaking this morning at the conference was Ukraine’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha, who addressed the conference by video link from Kyiv.
In his speech, he thanked Ireland for “standing on the side of good” since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago.
He said he does not believe Moscow is serious about a ceasefire.
“Ukraine is ready for a ceasefire,” he said, adding that the country is also ready for real peace but that confidence measures are needed, such as the release of Ukrainian prisoners of war.
The Tánaiste also spoke about the European Union’s response to Trump’s tariffs.
He stressed that the EU stands united in its response to the economic uncertainty, adding that “so many people underestimate EU unity”.
He said Ireland sees “no justification at all for tariffs imposed by the US”.
“Those who think the European Union will not be united on trade and the economy, don’t understand the European Union and don’t understand our values,” he said.
In attendance today at the Global Ireland Summit in Dublin Castle are members for Ireland’s diplomatic corps, leaders from across the civil and public service, business, and the community and civil society sectors.
Ireland’s ambassadors, consuls general and other senior officials from across the Embassy network are also in attendance.
With reporting from Christina Finn and David Mac Redmond
Need more information on what is happening in Israel and Palestine? Check out our FactCheck Knowledge Bank for essential reads and guides to navigating the news online.
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Shows how incredibly removed he is from empathy with other humans and he’s an influencer? That’s worrying.
@Deborah Behan: if you’re being “influenced” by the like of him you need a reality check.
@Bourbon: Fool!
@Matt Beaumont: why?
‘Troll attention wh0re does something that outrages Twitter allowing journal to post same story twice in 2 days with different headlines for more clicks’ This will be 2018 journalism in a nutshell.
Not once did he make any effort to help the person. It was just a nature documentary for him. Stop letting your kids watch this tripe.
@Liam Byrne:
What exactly do you think he could have done to help the person?
@Liam Byrne: The guy was dead since that morning so there wasn’t much he could have done.
@Brian Ward: well, there was a lot more he could have done – nothing to save that persons life, but he could have called the authorities instead of filming and joking around!
@meatyslaps: He did call the police or rather he asked his guide to call the police.
@Walt Jabsco: Maybe not film them?
@Brian Ward: how did he know he was dead. Is he a physician. He had no idea how long he was there.
@Tom Tom:
I’m not defending him – filming the victim was in extremely bad taste and he fully deserves the public backlash he’s getting.
I’m just asking what exactly Liam thinks should have been done that would have helped the victim. Not much as far as I can see.
@Liam Byrne: The guide that was with hi said that the victim was there since morning so I assume (since the victims features were pixeled out) that it was obvious that he or she was dead for some time.
@Brian Ward: so it sounds like the guide found the body earlier and then brought the guy to it?
@Brian Ward: what could he have done? How about donating ALL the money he received in click-commission from his advertisers to a suicide-prevention charity?
FFS even his ‘Apology’ video is making him heaps of $$$ in advertising revenue!
@Dave O Keeffe: No, it sounds more like that this wasn’t the first time the guide had found a dead body and knew the signs of rigor mortise. He even says that a friend of his killed himself a few years back. The body was hanging so i am assuming that there was definite signs that it had happened long before the crew got there.
Anyway what does it matter? What really matters is that this Logan clown didn’t even have the decency to take off the ridiculous Pokemon hat that he was wearing after finding the body, his crew members couldn’t stop snig-gering and Logan some how makes it all about him and not the victim. Any decent human being would have shown much more respect in such tragic circumstances and made it about raising awareness of mental health and suicide rather than making a show to boost his own ego and ratings.
@Dave O Keeffe: I actually posted my last reply about 2 hours ago but the Journals word filters apparently consider the word s n i g g e r i n g to be offensive! The obviously have their filters set at the top snowflake level.
@Brian Ward: The filters are obviously automated, and it is quite obvious as to why it was blocked.
@Brian Ward: I always thought it was snickering
@Brian Ward: I don’t understand what you’re arguing about, I only asked a question. I am not going to watch the video because that helps this s(umbag
He’s got one of those heads you’d love to punch. Bellend
Ar$ehole – Youtube should get some criticism too, they should not have allowed it to go live.
@Eddie O’Neill: I think that the problem there is that there are so many videos being uploaded every second that YouTube can’t watch and verify every single one of them. They have to wait until someone flags it and then take it down.
@Brian Ward: it was flagged and YouTube manually reviewed it, said it was OK and placed it on the trending page.
@Richard Flynn: Ah well in that case the reviewer should get a bollicking.
Note how YouTube and Google have released a statement condemning it, but this video was on the top ten trending list 2 days ago. YouTube handpick their trending videos!
Just shows they would have had no problem monetising this if there hadn’t been a large public outcry. Now they are pretending they are just as outraged, they ignored their own terms of use policies for their golden boy. Makes me ashamed the lows people are willing to stoop to for a few clicks
@Cian Rynne: not to mention all the other very many violent horrible videos available on YouTube as it stands.
It’s so sad that this mans actions that were wrong are the focus and not a Forrest that is known for suicide. I see our government and agencies patting each other on what is a brilliant thing that less people dies on our roads. Will we have any one with the balls to tell us what our suicide rate is nationally and is it on the rise or falling. Having lost friends and family to suicide people in the right place are afraid to talk about the numbers
This story was run a few days ago on the journal
@Nick Allen: thanks for the heads up
Absolute braindead pri!!k that knows f all about living in the real world..
Most worrying aspect this was the support he received from his young fan base the defended him.
@Grimm: kinda makes you think what the youth of today are going to be like as adults…. mindless lil sheep.
It’s the media making a fuss , the guy apologized FFS
This moran should be prosecuted, teach this selfish git a lesson….
@Johnnie Sexton: For what? He might be an ahole but I doubt he broke any laws.
@Johnnie Sexton: Don‘t allow your children to watch that knob anymore!
No viewers, no money for the moron!
Plain and simple
You know your fooked when you piss off Japan!!!
@Warren Collier: you’re
have your say