TAOISEACH SIMON HARRIS has expressed Ireland’s “unbreakable” support for the people of Palestine in a phone call with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas today. 

Harris told Abbas that “the heartbreaking conditions and loss of innocent life in Gaza this year weigh heavily on the minds of many Irish people”, especially over the Christmas period, the Taoiseach’s department said in a statement. 

Harris promised that Ireland would continue to use every opportunity at EU, UN and bilateral levels to push for a ceasefire in the war in Gaza, where the death toll has risen above 45,000 since October last year. 

The call between the two leaders comes not long after Israel announced the closure of its embassy in Dublin following Ireland’s decision to intervene in the case brought against Israel by South Africa at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

South Africa has accused Israel of violating the Genocide Convention during its siege, bombardment and invasion of the Gaza Strip that followed the Hamas-led attack on 7 October 2023. 

The Taoiseach said that the catastrophic death toll was at the forefront of his mind during his conversation with Abbas. 

“President Abbas told me that 50 people have died and 100 have been injured in Gaza every day in 2024. On top of this, we have seen so-called safe zones bombed in the last few days and the conditions in Gaza as described by the UN are horrific,” Harris said. 

Israel has been carrying out attacks on the Al-Mawasi area of Gaza, where Gaza’s civil defence agency said seven people were killed in a drone attack on Sunday. Al-Mawasi has been designated a “safe zone” by the Israeli military but attacks there have taken place throughout the war.

Harris continued, saying that “1.1 million children are living in hellish conditions”.

“Families lack the most basic items, including food, clothing, shoes, mattresses, blankets, and kitchen supplies. There is a dangerous shortage of medicines, with diseases spreading rapidly due to the cold. 

“Tens of thousands of people are living at sites with no basic services at all. That’s no bathroom, no water and no food. It is also deeply troubling that the West Bank and East Jerusalem continue to see buildings being cleared and demolished.”

The Taoiseach also said the risk of famine has not subsided and that “the only conclusion that can fairly be drawn at the end of 2024 is that the world has failed the innocent people of Gaza”.

Aid agencies working in Gaza have repeatedly said the Israeli military is obstructing the flow of aid into the besieged Palestinian territory. 

Oxfam reiterated that accusation today, especially in the context of northern Gaza, where Israel has been accused of ethnic cleansing due to the intensity of its campaign and its forced evacuation orders.

“Our teams in the north of Gaza are seeing clear signs of ethnic cleansing as Palestinians are forcibly displaced, trapped, and bombed,” Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said on Thursday last week.

“Of the meagre 34 trucks of food and water given permission to enter the North Gaza Governorate over the last 2.5 months, deliberate delays and systematic obstructions by the Israeli military meant that just twelve managed to distribute aid to starving Palestinian civilians,” Oxfam said in a statement today. 

Israel has rejected Oxfam’s claim, saying it was “deliberately and inaccurately” ignoring their humanitarian efforts.

The Taoiseach and Abbas also discussed Ireland’s decision, alongside Spain and Norway, to recognise the State of Palestine in May. 

Abbas thanked Ireland again today and said that the official acceptance of Palestinian Ambassador Dr Jilan Abdalmajid’s credentials this week was a great honour.

“There were some who criticised our decision to recognise Palestine but I am resolute in the words I said on that day in May, ‘there is never a wrong time to do the right thing’,” Harris said. 

Harris added that “many leaders” of countries yet to recognise Palestinian statehood had expressed their respect towards Ireland, Spain and Norway’s decision. 

“Our recognition of Palestine took nothing away from Israel and I have spoken or met in person with President Herzog of Israel on several occasions this year.”

The Taoiseach and President Abbas also spoke about the importance of ongoing international support for UNRWA, the main aid agency operating in Palestine. 

Many Western countries withdrew funding for the UN agency after Israel accused some of its staff of participating in the Hamas-led attack on 7 October 2023. Ireland did not withdraw funding and defended the organisation, which is commonly described as a lifeline for Palestinians. 

Israel cut ties with the agency in early November of this year following a parliamentary vote to ban UNRWA.

Harris and Abbas also discussed the first group of eight seriously injured Palestinian children who were medically evacuated to Ireland this week for treatment.

While Ireland has been at the forefront among European countries calling for support for Palestine and levelling criticisms at Israel, pro-Palestine campaigners at home – including many opposition TDs – have criticised the government’s failure to pass the Occupied Territories Bill.

The bill would outlaw trade in goods and services from illegal settlements, including in the occupied Palestinian territories. The government indicated there were constitutional issues with the bill, which was first introduced in 2018.