April 12 (Punjab Khabarnama) : Israel’s foreign ministry criticised Ireland’s new prime minister, Simon Harris, for “not mentioning the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza” during his speech to the Irish parliament, as reported by the news agency AFP.
According to a statement from the Israel foreign ministry, Harris, who took office on Tuesday, failed to acknowledge the “133 Israeli hostages who have been trapped in Hamas tunnels for the past six months.”
“After the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust… there are those in Ireland who persist on being on the wrong side of history,” the statement added.
Israel is also angered by Ireland’s intention to “recognise a Palestinian state” and to involve itself in the genocide case initiated by South Africa against Israel at the International Court of Justice.
The statement further said that Ireland’s actions would “endorse terrorism by supporting South Africa,” which it referred to as “the legal arm of the Hamas terrorist organisation,” and potentially recognising a Palestinian state in the future.
What did the Irish PM say?
Harris, 37, the youngest-ever premier of Ireland, addressed the Irish parliament on Tuesday, saying that “innocent children, women, and men are being starved and slaughtered” in Gaza.
“We have not been silent on the unforgivable terrorist actions of Hamas on October 7, nor can we be silent on the disproportionate reaction of the Israeli government,” said the leader of the centre-right Fine Gael party.
In a statement on March 27 announcing its intention to intervene at the International Court of Justice, Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs mentioned “taking of hostages” as one of the violations of international humanitarian law that have taken place in Israel and Gaza since October 7.
In a joint statement with Spain on March 22, the leaders of Ireland, Malta, and Slovenia conveyed their “readiness to recognise Palestine” when “the circumstances are right.”
Israel-Hamas conflict
The conflict in Gaza began on October 7 when Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel, resulting in the deaths of 1,170 people, predominantly civilians, according to Israeli sources.
Israel’s retaliatory campaign has led to the deaths of approximately 33,482 people in Gaza to date, primarily women and children, as reported by the health ministry in the Hamas-controlled territory.
Additionally, Palestinian militants seized around 250 hostages, with Israel asserting that 129 remain in Gaza, including 34 reportedly deceased, while four Israelis were held captive there prior to the conflict, according to Israel.