President Higgins calls non-executive European Presidents to offer “a strong voice” against war in Gaza

In a letter today, President Higgins called for action on the “horrific situation in Gaza” from his fellow members of the Arraiolos Group of non-executive European Presidents.

The Arraiolos Group is an informal group of Presidents of European Union member states, providing a political forum for the Presidents of parliamentary republics in the EU.

Writing to the Arraiolos Group, Higgins said: “I am sure that we all remember with horror the moment when news broke of the horrific atrocities carried out by Hamas as we returned from our meeting of the Arraiolos Group in Porto in October 2023.

“These atrocities were rightly condemned by all member states,” he continued. “We were not silent and called for the unconditional release of all hostages. While Israel has a right to defend itself, we cannot let that horrific event provide a licence or cover for the totally unacceptable loss of life, including from malnutrition and dehydration by infants and mothers that is now being perpetrated in Gaza.”

He went on to highlight that the entire population of Gaza is currently facing a crisis that includes ever worsening levels of acute food insecurity. 1,000 Palestinians, mainly children, have reportedly been killed while seeking to collect aid since the commencement of the current violence.

20,000 mothers in Gaza are being subjected to conditions of dehydration and malnutrition, while UNICEF has reported that 6,500 children were admitted for treatment for acute malnutrition in June alone, with a further 5,000 admitted in the first two weeks of July; while a reported 80 children have reportedly already died of malnutrition.

The President goes on by quoting Pope Leo XIV’s condemnation of this assault on civilian life, and highlighting he three urgent steps called for by the Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres: an immediate ceasefire, the unconditional release of all hostages, and full, unimpeded humanitarian access.

Concluding his letter, President higgins adds that he “firmly” believes “that collectively, the Arraiolos Group has a strong voice and leadership role to offer in relation to what is happening in Gaza. Silence, failure to take an initiative will be rightly construed as a moral failure.

“As a fellow member of the Group of Arraiolos and your colleague, I would respectfully ask the Group to consider adding its powerful voice to the international community calls for a halt to the avoidable loss of life of civilians in Gaza, the unconditional release of all hostages, and full-unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza.”

The letter was set to each of the members of the Arraiolos Group, comprising the Presidents of Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia and Slovenia.