Dáil debates
Tuesday, 17 October 2023
Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions
2:10 pm
Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source
Alongside the UN, we have called for the order which Israel has made for Palestinian people to move to the southern part of Gaza to be rescinded. That is not an acceptable demand in our view. We have also clearly condemned the cutting off of supplies of water and fuel to the people of Gaza. That is not acceptable. In contrast, we need humanitarian corridors. The European Union is working on that with Egypt at the moment. Israel has the right to defend itself, to pursue the terrorists who attacked its civilian population and to bring them to justice but it must do that within the basic rules of international law. It is the case that Hamas hides itself among the civilian population, but they are not to blame for that and there can be no excuse or acceptance of civilians or civilian infrastructure being targeted in this way.
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