Taoiseach Requests A Review Of The EU-Israel Agreement

The Taoiseach strongly emphasised a review of the EU-Israel agreement after an airstrike on Gaza school. He urged that the review is urgent since the “world is standing at the precipice of a horrific moment”.

He was of the view that the world is witnessing clear evidence of a “prolonged humanitarian catastrophe” in Gaza. The Taoiseach said after the airstrike on a Gaza school that resulted in coming closer to the deaths of 40,000 people, the bombing was extremely gruesome in terms of humanitarian principles.

(Also read: Israel Airstrike On Gaza School Results In Death Of More Than 100 People)

He explained that the attack on Al-Taba’een school was another addition to the list of 490 Gaza schools that have been attacked since the start of this war. He declared the attack “gut-wrenching” as Ireland does not support such acts of violence.

The Taoiseach stated, “Ireland condemns outright such awful and wholesale loss of civilian life”.

Simon Harris’ request came right after Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez raised their voices for the same review request at the beginning of this year.

Requests other than Taoiseach’s

A serious consideration for a review of the EU-Israel agreement has been called for by Mr Varadkar and Mr Sanchez so that details are disclosed as to whether Israel is fulfilling the obligations of human rights under the said agreement.

If not, then violations from Israel’s side should be severely punished. Mr Harris is reiterating the same review in a statement this morning.

Under the agreement’s spotlight, the Taoiseach is sure that the agreement contains human rights clauses that are openly violated at the moment. He ensured that the EU should not postpone “making them redundant”.

In reality, Taoiseach maintained that he is “particularly disturbed” over the reports generated by the United Nations as they indicate that the aid deliveries reaching Gaza have now halved in June and July. The trucks now reaching the locations are less than “80 trucks a day”.

Simon Harris is not convinced after seeing the massive loss of lives, especially after the airstrike on the Gaza school. He corroborated this with information on only 24 out of 67 planned aid missions that were allowed by Israel.

Mr Harris was also fearful that 80 per cent of Gaza is evacuated and forced to take shelters in schools, which are now attacked by Israel, saying they have used strict surveillance and deem these places as Hamas fighters’ headquarters.

When people are asked to evacuate and take shelter elsewhere, they only find a school to carry on with their life routines in peace, Harris sadly added. However, the schools still remain the prime target locations, which is an unacceptable and illegal part of the entire operation from Israel.

Several innocent lives have gone in the last 10 months and thousands have been displaced from their ‘safe zones’. The same stands true for people who were asked by Israel to leave their current homes in Beit Hanoun and then, they went to live in Al-Taba’een school.

He again stressed that those who are responsible should be penalised as soon as possible since it is the breakpoint of humanity, seeing such undoubted war crimes being committed in Gaza for months now. There should be no relief on such actions for which, Taoiseach has repeatedly asked for a review of the EU-Israel agreement.

There is a responsibility on the shoulders of the International Court of Justice, he said, that the legally binding orders of these agreements should be thoroughly checked so that full implementation is validated.

Taoiseach clarified Ireland’s stance for calling for “an immediate ceasefire” and releasing the hostages so that aid trucks could reach the targeted locations without impediments.