Mary Lou McDonald has condemned the attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas on Saturday, which saw Israeli civilians killed and taken hostage.
The Sinn Féin leader also defended meeting with the Hamas leadership a number of years ago, saying that talking to all sides was the “correct” approach.
“The targeting of civilians and the taking of hostages is to be condemned outright,” she told RTÉ’s News At One programme, adding that it was a breach of international law. “…Scenes where a lot of young people were out enjoying themselves and to meet with such a violent and traumatic death is just truly horrific, and I understand perfectly the sense of trauma that’s been expressed.”
Ms McDonald added that the ongoing bombardment of Gaza by the Israeli defence forces had equally to be condemned.
“My feeling overall in this scenario is one of alarm because this is now a very, very dangerous situation, but I am also feeling a very deep frustration. The truth is that for decades, the Israeli state has breached international law, day in and day out, with collective punishment, annexation, confiscation of lands, imposing an apartheid regime denying the Palestinian people the right to self-determination. And there is just such a depressing predictability about this entire intensification of conflict.”
Asked whether she had met with the Hamas leadership, she said “I have been to the West Bank and I have met with everybody.”
After confirming that this included Hamas, she said “that’s the correct way to approach this. We should know in Ireland, if you are serious about achieving a ceasefire, which is necessary, a path to peace and respect for international law in a conflict situation, you meet and talk to everybody. That’s the only way you can find a pathway forward.”
Ms McDonald visited the West Bank for several days in December 2018.
Her comments come as the European Commission said it was putting all of its development aid for Palestinians, worth €691 million, under review and immediately suspending all payments following Hamas' attack on Israel.
Germany and Austria earlier on Monday said they were suspending bilateral development aid to Palestinians, while others such as Italy had said suspending aid was not up for discussion.
Europe is one of the main sources of aid to the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories where the United Nations estimates that around 2.1 million people need humanitarian assistance, among them 1 million children.
It is unclear whether the suspensions in development aid will also apply to such assistance.
