Taoiseach calls on Israel to show restraint

Israeli tanks near the border with Lebanon on Wednesday. Lebanon's state-run National News Agency says Israeli shelling of southern Lebanese villages has wounded three civilians and damaged about 10 homes. Photo: AP/Ariel Schalit

Israel must show “restraint” and cease attacks on civilian infrastructure or any international solidarity will “evaporate very quickly”, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar says.

Speaking in the Dáil this afternoon during Leaders’ Questions, Mr Varadkar said that he believed Israel had the right to defend itself following attacks by Hamas over the weekend, but this must be kept within the “parameters of international law”. Mr Varadkar said that any solidarity gained in recent days by Israel could “evaporate” if their response to the Hamas attacks are not proportionate.

“Israel has united itself in response to these attacks and is gaining a lot of solidarity from other parts of the world, but I believe that will evaporate, and evaporate very quickly, if the Israeli response in Gaza and elsewhere is disproportionate.

“There must be restraint and there must be no attacks on civilian infrastructure.

“If it is unacceptable for the President of Russia to target power stations and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine then the same must apply to the Israeli Government and the actions it takes on targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure in Gaza.”

He reiterated Ireland’s “total condemnation” of the attack by Hamas on Israeli civilians, with opposition politicians — including Mary Lou McDonald and Ivana Bacik — also condemning the violence.

“There is no justification for targeting civilians and taking civilians hostage and all hostages should be released immediately,” Ms McDonald said, while adding that the attacks occurred “against the backdrop of decades of deep injustice”.

Mr Varadkar confirmed that Ireland will continue to provide aid to Palestine, saying that the Government would not support any decision to suspend EU aid.

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It comes after the Hungarian European Commissioner, Oliver Varhelyi, caused concern within Government after suggesting that EU development aid to Palestine would be suspended following the attacks by Hamas.

The Taoiseach criticised People Before Profit’s Richard Boyd Barrett for not condemning Hamas, with Mr Boyd Barrett saying the recent escalation in violence is a “continuation of the crimes against humanity and the war crimes of the state of Israel against the people of Palestine”.

In response, Mr Varadkar said that he believed Israel has a right to exist and that it is the “closest thing to a democracy” in the region.

He added that both he and Mr Boyd Barrett would be able to “live our lives freely in Israel, me as the gay man and [Mr Boyd Barrett] as a revolutionary socialist”.

“Neither of us would be able to live our lives freely in Gaza. We would not, because of the oppression that would be imposed on people,” Mr Varadkar said.