Irish Examiner view: Progress in Gaza must be welcomed

Israeli tanks on the coastal road leading to Gaza City as displaced Palestinians gather near Wadi Gaza in the central Gaza Strip on Thursday.  Picture: Abdel Kareem Hana/AP

Peace deal hopes

Is there hope finally in sight for Gaza? This week a deal has been announced, and more importantly, it has been agreed by all sides.

Hamas said yesterday that it had agreed to the proposal from US president Donald Trump, confirming that the deal included an Israeli withdrawal from the enclave and a hostage-prisoner exchange.

Israel also approved the deal yesterday.

The thorny subject of releasing hostages had been an issue in previous negotiations, but there appears at least to be specific agreements in place this time round: The 20 Israeli hostages believed to be still alive in Gaza could be released as early as this weekend, while sources stated that up to 1,700 Palestinian prisoners could be freed from Israeli jails within 72 hours of the deal being signed.

It is a significant foreign affairs achievement by the US president, though the challenges of international diplomacy confounded his promises of a quick peace. When elected, Trump promised to end the war in Gaza very quickly but the deal has come nine months after his inauguration.

Nonetheless, this is news that most countries will welcome wholeheartedly. At the risk of sounding an unnecessarily pessimistic note, there have to be concerns about any deal that is contingent on the attention and focus of Trump, but bringing a halt to the large-scale slaughter in Gaza is a good day’s work.

The killing of thousands of women and children and the man-made famine in this area have horrified the world.

If the peace holds and some semblance of normality returns to the area, attention will turn in time to other matters. The genocide case South Africa took against Israel in the International Court of Justice back in 2023 continues, for instance, and we may not witness a court hearing until 2027.

Gaza may continue to feature in our headlines for some time yet. But if the killing has ceased, then that at least is progress.

Politics can be a cruel business

Wednesday evening’s Fianna Fáil parliamentary party meeting did not erupt in blood-letting after all, despite expectations.

It has been a catastrophic week for the party, in which its presidential candidate, Jim Gavin, withdrew from the election entirely, but its leader and Taoiseach Micheal Martin
remains in post.

His contrition before colleagues over the selection of Gavin appears to have been persuasive, while the absence of one crucial element for any putative putsch may also have been significant. Absent a realistic alternative as party leader, Fianna Fáil has stuck with the man from Cork.

The focus on this aspect of the proceedings is understandable. Mr Martin has been party leader for almost 20 years and has enjoyed two terms as Taoiseach, therefore any intimation of an end to his tenure(s) is of national consequence.

But it is also worth examining Jim Gavin’s experience in recent days. The former Dublin GAA boss stepped down when it was revealed that he had not repaid a former tenant €3,300, and any reader who has had difficulties with a landlord will immediately empathise with the tenant. That money should have been paid back long before it resurfaced to exert significant influence on Irish political history.

However, there is also something deeply concerning about the way Mr Gavin has been treated by the organisation and people who entreated him to stand for election. One Fianna Fáil source told this newspaper that Mr Gavin was “thrown under the bus by” party colleagues, and it is difficult to contest that description of events.

The speed with which Mr Gavin was abandoned by those who spearheaded his campaign should give us all pause. At a time when it is proving more and more difficult to get people to take part in the democratic process — as voters, never mind candidates — this episode will hardly encourage people become involved in politics.

City patrols 

There is a strong sense abroad that our towns and cities are seeing a good deal of antisocial behaviour and crime.

For instance, a Cork Business Association function this week heard that there were 568 arrests for shoplifting in the city this year, involving 365 offenders, according to Garda figures.

One widely proposed solution to such offences is greater garda visibility, but it has to be acknowledged that An Garda Síochána staffing levels are below the required levels, and some areas appear to be particularly understaffed.

Hence the welcome for an initiative announced for Cork City this week, where there were two stabbings in recent days, including one incident that occurred on St Patrick’s Street at lunchtime.

As reported here by Liz Dunphy this week, four city-centre wardens are to begin patrolling the city from next month.

Although these wardens will not have the same powers of enforcement as the gardaí, they will be in close contact with law enforcement and other city authorities. The wardens will aim to deter criminal and antisocial behaviour and to support tourists, the vulnerable, and businesses.

This is a welcome development, and credit is due to those driving the scheme — the Cork Business Association, the
Department of Justice, and Cork City Council.

It is encouraging that those organisations have come together in such a proactive fashion.

It is also encouraging to hear that there were more than 100 applications for these positions, suggesting that civic spirit is still strong, even in these testing times.

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