From the Liveblog of
Thursday, August 29, 2024
Irish FM: Dublin will back recommendation for sanctions on Israeli ministers, settler groups
Ireland’s foreign minister says his country will back EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell’s recommendation to impose sanctions on far-right Israeli ministers, as well as on settler organizations in the West Bank “who are facilitating [the] expansion of settlements.”
Speaking at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, Micheál Martin claims Israel is targeting Palestinian people as a whole and not just the Hamas terror group with its military campaign in Gaza, adding that he wants the European Union to review its ties with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
“This is a war against Palestinians, not just against Hamas. The level of civilian casualties and dead is unconscionable,” he asserts. “It’s a war on the population. No point in trying to fudge this.”
He says a recent ruling by the International Court of Justice that Israel’s military control of Gaza and the West Bank is unlawful obliges the EU to take action.
“It cannot be business as usual,” Martin tells reporters. “It is very clear to us that international humanitarian law has been broken.”
Israel has consistently and strongly denied its actions in Gaza are aimed at anything other than eliminating the threat posed by Hamas to Israeli civilians. It has repeatedly said it seeks to minimize civilian fatalities and stresses that Hamas uses Gaza’s civilians as human shields, fighting from civilian areas including homes, hospitals, schools and mosques.
Ties between the EU and Israel — which are major trading partners — are governed by a so-called Association Agreement. Ireland and Spain have been pressing their EU partners to examine whether Israel has broken the rules.
Martin also says that Ireland’s transport department is looking into reports that Israel may have transported weapons through Irish airspace without permission.
“Any cargo planes carrying weapons must seek exemptions. Exemptions have not been sought in respect of any flights,” he says.
