Israeli government refused to permit Tánaiste visit Gaza or Israeli-controlled areas of the West Bank during recent visit
Tánaiste Micheal Martin speaking to the media on the situation in the Middle East during the officially opening of the Joe and Helen O'Toole Community Nursing Unit in Tuam, Co Galway. Picture: Niall Carson/PA Wire
The Israeli Government refused to permit Tánaiste Micheál Martin to visit Gaza or Israeli-controlled areas of the West Bank during a recent visit to the Middle East.
Mr Martin visited Israel, the West Bank and Jordan last month, meeting with leaders in the region including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
According to Mr Martin, a visit to the Gaza strip “was not facilitated by Israel”, with the Tánaiste raising the issue during a meeting with Israeli foreign minister Eli Cohen.
As part of the trip, Mr Martin said that one of his priorities focused on raising concerns about “the accelerating rate of settler violence in the occupied Palestinian territory”, including demolitions of Palestinian infrastructure.
During the trip, Mr Martin scheduled a visit to Ein Samiya, a part of Area C where Israeli settlers recently demolished a school.
“In view of the priority afforded by Ireland to this issue, the proposed programme for my visit included a visit to Ein Samiya, the site of a recent school demolition in Area C of the occupied Palestinian territory,” Mr Martin said, in response to a Parliamentary Question.
“Israel has full civil and security control in Area C, and did not facilitate the proposed visit.”
While the Tánaiste did not receive permission to visit the region, he met with members of a Bedouin Palestinian community in Ramallah who were at a risk of displacement.
In recent days, the Foreign Affairs Minister has condemned the “brutal criminality” of Hamas following last Saturday’s attack against Israel, but cautioned the Israeli government against striking back against civilian targets.
“There is no doubt about the brutal criminality of Hamas and their utter disregard for human life, including the lives of their fellow Palestinians,” Mr Martin said.
“But we absolutely must distinguish between Hamas and Palestinian civilians in Gaza.”
In particular, Mr Martin said that while Israel does have a right to defend itself, any retaliation must be within the “parameters of international humanitarian law”.
The Government is monitoring the situation in Israel "closely" to ensure that Irish troops are kept safe, the Tánaiste says.
I
rish Defence Forces personnel serving with Unifil, the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon, have had to take shelter in the south of the country amid "sporadic" exchanges of fire across the Lebanon-Israel border in recent days.
The Irish soldiers are responsible for manning an area in south Lebanon known as the “Blue Line”, which separates it from Israel.
Speaking in Tuam, Co Galway on Monday, Mr Martin said that in his role as Defence Minister, he is in daily contact with the Defence Forces Chief of Staff.
"I'm in daily contact with the Chief of Staff. Unifil are monitoring the situation very carefully. We are concerned about the potential for the spreading regionally so every effort has been made to make sure that that it doesn't.
"Globally and internationally countries are working towards preventing any spread of this in Lebanon and also at the West Bank if we can keep that relatively calm. I say relatively because people have been killed already in the West Bank as well. And there already was a difficult situation in the West Bank with the settlements and far right settlers committing acts of violence... displacing Palestinians, which is not acceptable.
"Ireland has always consistently been on the side of the United Nations resolutions with respect to the Middle East, the application of international law. We're in Lebanon to keep the peace. We'll be there to keep the peace, and we're very conscious of what could happen. So we're monitoring the situation on an ongoing basis."
Mr Martin said that Ireland continues to work to retrieve some 40 Irish citizens still in Gaza. He said that the issue is not in extraction as has been the case in other countries, but in getting them from Gaza.
"We've been working with citizens, Irish citizens in Gaza over the last number of days, our embassy in Israel has been in touch we've been anxious to work through the authorities there. And we're going to continue to do that, along with other Member States looking after their citizens so much depends on the opening of the Rafa Crossing, essentially. And we have been working with the families that are concerned and with the citizens."
Mr Martin said that Ireland has been "careful in its public commentary because this is a fraught situation".
"Just be assured that we're doing all that we can."
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
