Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said that while Israel had the right to defend itself, its recent actions were not self defence. “It resembles something more approaching revenge.”
Speaking to the media in South Korea where he is leading an Irish delegation, Mr Varadkar said it was very important not to forget how the current conflict started.
“This phase of the conflict started with a Hamas attack on Israel, where 1400 civilians were killed, including one person who is a dual Irish-Israeli citizen. And I strongly believe that, like any state, Israel has the right to defend itself, has the right to go after Hamas so that they cannot do this again.
“But what I'm seeing unfolding at the moment isn't just self-defense. It looks, resembles something more, more approaching revenge.”
When asked if it was a war crime, Mr Varadkar said that was not for him to determine. “That's not where we should be. And I don't think that's how Israel will guarantee its future freedom and future security.”
In response to a question about Ireland’s relationship with Israel, the Taoiseach said he did not think that the Israeli authorities would consider Ireland to be close friends and allies in the way they would consider the US, the UK or Germany to be.
Israel was a country with which Ireland has relations, he added. “But I don't think we're as close as we might have been or perhaps could be, because we do take a different position than most Western countries on Palestine and what's happening at the moment.”
Mr Varadkar said he was not at liberty to discuss if an Irish citizen was being held hostage in Gaza. “I have a briefing from the Department of Foreign Affairs, but I'm not at liberty to discuss individual cases. Suffice to say that when it comes to any of our citizens in Gaza, we're working with the authorities to enable them to leave as soon as possible. But I'm not in a position to get into the individual case.
“I’m not in a position to discuss individual cases for reasons that I can't explain.”
