Israel is not blocking Irish citizens from leaving Gaza, says Leo Varadkar 

The Taoiseach said he spoke with Israeli ambassador to Ireland Dana Erlich about the matter

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar: 'There's nothing we're not doing to try and enable our citizens to leave.' Picture: Gareth Chaney / Collins

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said the Israeli government is not blocking Irish citizens from leaving Gaza.

Mr Varadkar said he spoke with Israeli ambassador to Ireland Dana Erlich about the matter, who told him Israel was not blocking Irish citizens from leaving.

“I met the Israeli ambassador [Monday] about this. She told me that’s not the case and we’re continuing to seek permission for Irish citizens, Irish-Palestinian dual nationals, to leave from Gaza,” Mr Varadkar said.

“I'm very conscious that we have citizens in Gaza, I’m very conscious that there's a young Irish girl, nine years old this week, Emily Hand who's being held by Hamas as a hostage in Gaza.” 

He added there were also 400 troops at the Israeli border in southern Lebanon, adding their safety was “paramount”.

“In everything we do and say, we're bearing all of those things very much in mind, but when it comes to enabling our citizens to leave, we're engaging with Israel on that. Also, the Egyptians who have a role in controlling the crossing at Rafah,” Mr Varadkar told RTÉ, adding the Government was also engaging with Jordanian and Qatari authorities.

“There's nothing we're not doing to try and enable our citizens to leave.” 

Emily Hand is believed to be held captive by Hamas. The eight-year-old's family have been informed she may still be alive and being held hostage by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

It comes after Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon accused the Israeli government of punishing Irish citizens who are still in Gaza, saying they are preventing them from leaving the strip.

Speaking at Leinster House on Tuesday, Mr Gannon, the party’s TD for Dublin Central, called for the Israeli ambassador to be expelled from Ireland immediately.

He was speaking ahead of a Sinn Féin motion that is calling on the Government to refer Israeli attacks against Gaza to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to be investigated.

“We are calling for a cessation of diplomatic relations with the Israeli embassy here in Ireland. We understand the enormity of that call, we don’t do it lightly but we also understand the enormity of what is happening in Gaza at the moment and all the calls are falling on deaf ears,” Mr Gannon said.

“We will not stand by and be complicit. I don’t think it’s appropriate for the State to stand back and be content by having the least bloody hands in the room. I think our position can be stronger than that.” 

He added: “I also need to press the Israeli state as to why they’re refusing to allow those Irish citizens, including children, in Gaza to leave. I mean, is that a form of punishment from the state of Israel towards those citizens because the Irish state has been an outlier in terms of asking simply for a ceasefire?

Asked if he believed that was the case, Mr Gannon confirmed he did, questioning what “justification” could be made as to why no Irish citizens have left the Gaza strip so far.