President Michael D Higgins has called on his European counterparts to take action on the situation in Gaza, warning that “failure to take an initiative will be rightly construed as a moral failure”, reports RTE.
The call comes amid rising concern over deaths from malnutrition in Gaza, where the health ministry — under Hamas control — has reported dozens of recent fatalities. Aid organisations have also issued warnings about widespread hunger.
President Higgins expressed his concerns in a letter to the Arraiolos Group, which includes non-executive European presidents, reports RTE.
“I write to you with a deep sense of grief. Unacceptable violence continues to cause immeasurable suffering in Ukraine, Sudan and too many other parts of our shared world,” reports RTE.
“I am sure that we all remember with horror the moment when news broke of the horrific atrocities carried out by Hamas as we returned from our meeting of the Arraiolos Group in Porto in October 2023. These atrocities were rightly condemned by all member states. We were not silent and called for the unconditional release of all hostages. While Israel has a right to defend itself, we cannot let that horrific event provide a licence or cover for the totally unacceptable loss of life, including from malnutrition and dehydration by infants and mothers that is now being perpetrated in Gaza,” President Higgins said, reports RTE.
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Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza, now entering its 21st month, began after an unprecedented attack by Hamas on 7 October 2023. The assault resulted in 1,200 deaths and saw 250 people taken hostage.
Since then, much of Gaza — home to more than two million Palestinians — has been devastated. The territory’s health ministry, controlled by Hamas, reports that around 60,000 people have been killed, the majority of them civilians, reports RTE.
According to Gaza’s civil defence agency, Israeli forces killed 16 people in the territory this morning.
In his letter, President Higgins echoed the call of UN Secretary General António Guterres for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and unrestricted humanitarian access, reports RTE.
He also said he believes the Arraiolos Group could play a key role by lending its voice and leadership on the issue of Gaza.
“Silence, failure to take an initiative will be rightly construed as a moral failure. As a fellow member of the Group of Arraiolos and your colleague, I would respectfully ask the Group to consider adding its powerful voice to the international community calls for a halt to the avoidable loss of life of civilians in Gaza, the unconditional release of all hostages, and full-unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza,” President Higgins said, reports RTE.
The Arraiolos Group includes presidents from Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Ireland, Latvia, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia and Slovenia, reports RTE.
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