President Michael D. Higgins Condemns The New Wave of Violence Being Inflicted on Gaza

The President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins has called for an international response to the resumption of the bombing of Gaza.

Two weeks ago, Israel cut off humanitarian aid to Gaza, halting the entry of all lifesaving supplies, including food, medicine, fuel and cooking gas, for 2.1 million people and causing immediate food shortages and starvation.

On Tuesday morning, massive Israeli air strikes killed more than 400 people. It was the clearest possible breach of the ceasefire agreed on January 19, bringing death and destruction once again to a huge number of people. There were further airstrikes today, estimated to have killed an additional 13 people, and injuring more.

This fresh wave of airstrikes were said to have been carried out with the benediction of the President of the United States, Donald Trump. Trump recently unveiled a plan to force everyone to leave Gaza and to rebuild what is a key part of the Palestinian homeland as what he called “the Riviera of the Middle East.”

The absence of widespread official condemnation of the brutal assault on the people of Gaza by Israel is regarded by many ordinary citizens across the EU, the US, the Middle East, and elsewhere around the world, as an extraordinary betrayal of internationally agreed humanitarian principles and of the most basic human rights. However, the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Natanyahu, has threatened that it is "only the start."

“The gravity of what is now unfolding in Gaza - the loss of so many lives, including those of women and children – must be recognised and addressed,” President Higgins said.

"The credibility of all those who present as strong advocates for international law and humanitarian action is called into question and indeed strongly compromised by any silence in the face of what appears to be the real danger of the potential loss of the second phase of a ceasefire in the conflict.”

The President called for politicians and people in positions of influence to demand that the ceasefire be respected.

"All those in positions of influence must break their silence,” the President said, "and, as the Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres and others have done, appeal for the ceasefire to be respected, for unimpeded humanitarian assistance to be re-established and for the remaining hostages to be released unconditionally.

"The Palestinian families who are providing vital services in so many parts of Irish society are not alone in finding it incomprehensible that a siege that deprives families, including women and children, of water, food and essential medicines is able to operate without the slightest condemnation from some of those who claim to be supporters of humanitarian principles and international law.”

The President referred to the fact that the Irish government has been unequivocal in its position on the issue.

"The Irish Government has strongly condemned the renewed violence which has taken place in recent days,” he added. "Any approach that leaves to a few countries such as Ireland to condemn what are international breaches of humanitarian principles and international law will rightly be seen by future generations as their having by their silences been complicit in collective punishment, and of having privileged the threat of war, above measures aimed at reducing or ending the loss of human life.

"It cannot be left to institutions such as the United Nations and NGOs,” President Higgins concluded, "to express their outrage at what are clear breaches of humanitarian and human rights law. There is a responsibility on all those who hold elected office, not only to be aware of, but to comment on the continuing outrage that the escalation in the loss of civilian life and infrastructure represents. The retention of hostages is of course a clear continuing breach of international law and they must be released.”