The Boomtown Rats speak out for Gaza at sold-out Swords Castle show

The Boomtown Rats frontman Bob Geldof spoke out on Israel's occupation of Gaza during their sold-out gig at Swords Castle on Saturday night.

After playing their 1979 hit 'I Don't Like Mondays', Geldof paused to speak on the song's meaning. The band performed 'I Don't Like Mondays' at Live Aid in 1985, their final major appearance together, in support of relief efforts for famine in Africa.

"Now, we've sung that song thousands of times and every night it seems to mean something different, and it stays alive that way," Geldof said.

"Tonight, we're thinking of those panicked, exhausted mothers and their starving children in Gaza."

Last week, Geldof condemned Israel's handling of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza as "a despicable disgrace" on RTÈ's Prime Time and made a plea to the Israeli people to stand up against the mistreatment of Palestinians in a published statement.

Following the Swords gig, he spoke to Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, Sky News' flagship Sunday morning programme.

"Israeli authorities are lying. Netanyahu is a liar, the IDF are lying," Geldof told host Trevor Phillips — who also chairs the Index on Censorship — adding, "If the newsfeeds and social feeds weren't so censored in Israel, I imagine that the Israeli people would not permit what has been done in their name."

Geldof's statements arrive as Israel-based human rights organisations B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights released reports stating that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

It was the first time major Israeli rights groups have publicly concluded that Israel's attacks in Gaza are a genocide, an assessment previously reached by various other international organisations.

Geldof dedicated the Swords Castle performance to the late Sinéad O'Connor, noting that the gig fell on the second anniversary of her death.

"If she was here with us tonight, she'd know exactly what we're talking about," Geldof said.

Geldof also mentioned the defenders of Ukraine as Russia's invasion rages on, calling out, "those brave boys and girls trying to stop the invasion of Europe by that thug in the Kremlin."

Their Swords show was one stop on The Boomtown Rats' Ireland, UK and European tour, ahead of a series of performances across the UK over the next three months.

Their next Irish show will be at the All Together Now festival on August 2.