Tánaiste Michael Martin said Europe cannot withdraw humanitarian aid from Gaza under any circumstances, reports Breaking News.
There can be no collective punishment, he told RTÉ Morning Ireland radio.
Although Israel has the right to self-defence, it must be in accordance with international law, the Geneva Conventions.
“And that means, in our view, that there cannot be collective punishment of the entire civilian population in Gaza. And also fundamentals like food, fuel, electricity must be allowed for the populace. Because there is nowhere to go,” he said, reports Breaking News.
“I do think in this country and elsewhere, we do really have to reflect on the enormity of the trauma and savagery that was visited upon the Israeli people and Israel, really do have to feel it in terms of the indiscriminate random murder of innocent civilians. And we just can’t quickly move on from this. And there is a tendency to quickly move on from it,” he added, reports Breaking News.
Mr Martin said he was also very worried about the potential for “regional implosion.”
“We’re conscious of Hezbollah in Lebanon, we’re conscious of the situation in the West Bank and the need for calm and control. And let’s be frank, there is a malign influence regionally in terms of Iran’s influence on the region and on organizations like Hamas,” he added, reports Breaking News.
“In the immediate aftermath of an atrocity of this kind, it was important to take the time for a rational, medium term strategy to emerge, he added. There had been a significant deterioration in the situation, which was quite depressing, he said, reports Breaking News.
“There has to be ultimately a move to creating a political solution that enables people to live together in harmony in a very limited geographical space that is the Middle East,” reports Breaking News.
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