Taoiseach demands EU pressure Israel to stop Gaza war amid ‘catastrophic’ conditions

Ireland demands EU action after report confirms Israel’s rights violations, but key member states block any sanctions

Germany and Austria frequently cite the holocaust against Jewish people as a reason why they refuse to criticise or sanction Israel. Picture: Moiz Salhi/Anadolu via Getty Images

Ireland will continue to push for the EU to respond to “the dire, catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza” despite immovable opposition from several EU countries.

An EU-led assessment of the situation in Gaza and the West Bank confirmed Israel is in breach of the human rights article in the EU-Israel Association Agreement.

The report was delivered to foreign affairs ministers on Monday and is on the agenda for EU leaders to debate.

Yet, despite the evidence outlined in the report, several EU countries, including Austria, Germany, Hungary, and Czechia, say they will not support a partial or full suspension of the Israel-EU association.

“I will be saying to my European colleagues that people of Europe find it incomprehensible that Europe does not seem to be in a position to pressure Israel and leverage on Israel to stop this war in Gaza”, said Taoiseach Micheál Martin.

"I will be demanding Israel stop the continuing storm of children and innocent civilians. The war must stop,” he said.

“There must be a humanitarian response and a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza, an end to the blockade."

Holocaust

Germany and Austria frequently cite the holocaust against Jewish people as a reason why they refuse to criticise or sanction Israel. The Taoiseach says he “understands the historical reasons why some member states have perspectives”.

“But from a humanitarian perspective, it is incomprehensible what is going on, what continues to go on, and Europe needs to really articulate that in the strongest possible way, and we will be seeking to pursue mechanisms to ensure that this war stops and that humanitarian aid gets in urgently to Gaza”, Mr Martin said.

Israel denounced the report earlier in the week, calling it “outrageous”, but Mr Martin dismissed its concerns saying: “Israel needs to stop denouncing every report that comes out using objective criteria to describe the situation in Gaza.

"It's not an outrage, the review — in some respects, it is quite, some could argue, a modest document that seeks to objectively present the facts in relation to Gaza."

Meanwhile, leaders will also discuss the ongoing trade war with the US, as the deadline of July 9 to resolve the matter looms.

“Getting a deal is important for certainty, so that we know the landscape ahead of us, and that industry knows the landscape out ahead of it so that we can protect jobs,” Mr Martin said.