LAST UPDATE | 18 Oct 2023

TAOISEACH LEO VARADKAR has condemned the bombing of Al Ahli hospital in Gaza yesterday, telling the Dáil that “it may prove yet to be a war crime”.

Speaking during Leaders’ Questions, he said an independent investigation into the strike must be carried out. 

Hundreds of people have reportedly died following a blast at the hospital in the besieged territory. No-one has claimed responsibility for the explosion yet.

Hamas has blamed Israel while the Israelis have pointed to Islamic Jihad, a militant group in the Gaza Strip, saying it was the result of a failed rocket launch. 

“It was an atrocity. It violated the rules of war and violated basic humanity. It might yet prove to be a war crime. Whatever has happened, the violence must stop,” he said.

The Taoiseach called on Israel to restore power and water to Gaza, stating that there is a real concern now that with water supply so low, cholera could spread through the region.

He said the fact that a “medieval disease like cholera could be allowed to stalk Gaza again is unforgivable’.

Varadkar said there must be an immediate ceasefire among all parties.

“There is no military solution to this conflict, it’s going on for 75 years or more now,” he said, adding that the only solution is peace.

Speaking in the Dáíl Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald concurred that an immediate ceasefire is needed now. 

She said the international community needs to call out the bombing of a hospital for what it is. 

“This is not defence. These are crimes against human rights perpetrated in the full view of the world,” she said. 

If the international community does not stand unified it will be recorded as the “defining  failure of our generation”. McDonald said our children will ask us how we allowed this to happen. 

“Gaza cannot become the graveyard of international law,” she said. 

Labour’s Ivana Bacik said Ireland should be at the forefront at EU and UN level calling for an immediate ceasefire.

The comments come after Tánaiste Micheál Martin said he is “appalled” by the strike that hit the Al Ahli hospital in Gaza yesterday. 

“I am appalled by the strike on Al Ahli hospital and the deaths of hundreds of patients, staff and civilians taking shelter,” Martin said in a statement.

“The full facts of what happened must be established and those responsible must be held to account.”

Speaking during a press conference for the Government’s ‘Be Winter Ready’ campaign this afternoon, Martin said it is “very difficult for us at this distance to make any judgment call in respect of who’s responsible in terms of this attack on the hospital.”

When asked what he made of President Joe Biden’s remarks in which he backed Israel’s account of the attack, Martin said perhaps the US President may have more access to intelligence or information than he has.

Martin said the rising death tolls from Hamas’ 7 October attack and the ensuing Israeli bombardment of Gaza were “horrifying”.  He also reiterated Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s call for the opening of humanitarian corridors and the release of hostages. 

“The rising toll of civilian casualties and civilian suffering – in Israel and in the occupied Palestinian territories – since Hamas’ brutal attack on 7 October is horrifying.

“I echo the UN Secretary General’s call for a humanitarian ceasefire to allow humanitarian aid to reach those now in desperate need in Gaza.

“Humanitarian corridors must be urgently established. Hostages must be released immediately and unconditionally. The international community must work urgently to de-escalate this situation.”

Speaking on RTÉ’S Morning Ireland radio programme this morning, Martin said there needs to an independent investigation into the cause of the deadly explosion, adding that he condemned the attack “unreservedly”. 

Martin said that the International Criminal Court would have to be the body to conduct such an investigation. 

Asked what the EU could do to influence the situation for people in Gaza, which Israel is depriving of food, water, fuel and power, Martin said that the main focus has been pushing for the opening of humanitarian corridors. 

“It’s absolutely vital that water, food and medical supplies, because the hospitals are unbelievably stretched, that those supplies get into the hospitals as quickly as possible, and the water and basic humanitarian supplies get in there,” he said. 

“At the European foreign affairs council last week, we were all very clear on the importance of adherence to international humanitarian law.” 

He also said that governments should increase their contributions to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNWRA), which works in Palestine. 

The Tánaiste was also asked what could be done to assist the 40 Irish people who are currently in Gaza. He replied that the Government’s ability to get them out of the territory depended on opening the Rafah crossing on the border with Egypt. 

The border crossing has been closed off due to multiple airstrikes hitting the Palestinian side, which Egypt has blamed in Israel. 

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said today that Egypt “did not close” the only border crossing with Gaza not under Israel’s control, blaming Israeli bombardments.

“Developments on the ground and the repeated bombings by Israel of the Palestinian side of the crossing have prevented operations,” Sisi told reporters.

Convoys carrying aid have been waiting at the Egyptian side of the crossing for the last six days.

Israel’s ambassador to Ireland, Dana Ehrlich, has said that the “terrible” strike against the hospital in Gaza was a war crime and blamed it on a failed rocket launch by Islamic Jihad. 

“A war crime is targeting hospitals, targeting directly population, so we agree with that,” she told Morning Ireland.

“Every strike that we plan, we make sure that there is minimum civilian casualties.”

Asked about allowing humanitarian aid into the territory, Ehrlich said Hamas was to blame for the conditions in Gaza.

“I think they are deprived of their basic conditions because of Hamas. We are working with international partners, and that is Egypt and the US, in order to see how we can bring in humanitarian aid.

“Unfortunately, time and time again in the past, we’ve seen that Hamas abuses that help that aid that we supply to the Gaza Strip. They abuse not just equipment but the trucks themselves in order to smuggle out their people – can anyone guarantee that they don’t smuggle out our hostages that are now in Gaza

“There are a lot of components right now within this horrible situation.”

With reporting from Christina Finn, Jane Matthews, Press Association and AFP