Taoiseach Micheál Martin has come to the defence of Jim Gavin’s remarks on Gaza, while also accusing Sinn Féin of engaging in an “appalling distortion,” reports RTE.
During a recent interview, the Fianna Fáil candidate stated: “It’s unconscionable that the bombing is still taking place when I believe that the military objectives have probably been reached for that military campaign.”
The leader of Fianna Fáil maintained that Mr Gavin had made it explicitly clear in the interview that the situation unfolding was unconscionable.
Pearse Doherty of Sinn Féin criticised the remarks, saying it was disgraceful to refer in such terms to the mass killing of thousands of civilians, reports RTE.
Mr Doherty, who is also seen as a potential presidential hopeful, demanded an immediate retraction from Mr Gavin, saying: “It’s a genocide, Jim.”
Mr Martin, meanwhile, accused Sinn Féin of deliberately creating division and attempting to imply that someone is defending Israel when they are not, reports RTE.
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“It’s a distortion and it’s nasty and it should stop. Jim Gavin has all his life been a peacekeeper.”
He added that he hoped Sinn Féin’s response was not indicative of the tone their Presidential campaign would take.
Earlier, a spokesperson for Fianna Fáil claimed that Sinn Féin had launched a negative campaign because they recognised Mr Gavin as a formidable opponent, reports RTE.
“Jim Gavin was a senior officer in one of the largest civil protection missions of the 21st century. His first reaction is always to focus on saving lives and that’s what his short answer addressed.
“Deputy Doherty’s statement is an example of the type of politics which causes so many people to be cynical, reports RTE.
“Jim Gavin is unequivocal in his condemnation of the Israeli government’s genocidal actions. Hopefully this campaign will be spared this sort of fake outrage and cynical misrepresentation,” they said, reports RTE.
The conflict in Gaza was sparked by the Hamas-led assault on 7 October 2023, during which 1,200 individuals—primarily civilians—were killed, and 251 were taken hostage, according to Israeli figures.
In retaliation, Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza that has resulted in the deaths of over 64,000 people, the majority of them civilians, as reported by local health authorities, leaving much of the territory in ruins.
The United Nations last month declared a famine in certain areas of Gaza and warned that half a million people are now living in “catastrophic” conditions, reports RTE.
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