Ireland's Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin expressed his "outrage and disappointment" today, December 1, in light of the renewed hostilities between Israel and Hamas.
"I condemn the reckless and indiscriminate actions of Hamas. I also condemn the bombardment of Gaza that is now under way," Martin said in a statement on Friday.
"It was my sincere hope, and the widely held view of the international community, that the truce that held for the last week should be built upon to develop the conditions for a lasting peace."
Martin said the recent pause in conflict was "highly valuable," noting that 109 hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza had been released as well as "a significant improvement in access for vital humanitarian aid."
Martin reiterated his call for "a durable humanitarian ceasefire and full respect for International Humanitarian Law.
"Gaza’s civilian population cannot be allowed to suffer any further."
He concluded: "I am determined to work with EU and international partners to deliver a permanent ceasefire and move towards a meaningful political process. I firmly believe that this is the only way to ensure peace and security for the Israeli and Palestinian people."
My statement on the renewed hostilities between Israel and Hamas. pic.twitter.com/LBAlsvotIY
— Micheál Martin (@MichealMartinTD) December 1, 2023
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Martin further said: "We call for a humanitarian ceasefire on all sides and we do need to build a pathway to peace so Israelis and Palestinians can live in harmony together.
"That's the only future, ultimately, for here."
Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin has said he is outraged at the resumption of the war in Gaza | https://t.co/yn2UQSMJz5 pic.twitter.com/XWUKcdVhMX
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) December 1, 2023
On Friday morning, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said: "Hamas violated the operational pause, and in addition, fired toward Israeli territory.
"The IDF has resumed combat against the Hamas terrorist organization in Gaza."
The temporary ceasefire was due to expire at 7 am local time on Friday, just moments before fighting resumed.
CBS News reports that Hamas said negotiations had taken place throughout the night in an effort to extend the pause in fighting for a third time, and that it had made offers including returning the bodies of a mother and her two young children who had been among the hostages seized by the group during the October 7 terror attack.
"The occupation refused to deal with all these offers, because it had made a predisposed decision to resume the criminal aggression," Hamas claimed in a statement, according to CBS News. Hamas attributed "full responsibility" for the resumption of the war to Israel and the Biden administration for its "absolute support for Israel."
Reuters reports that the bombing was heaviest in the Rafah and Khan Younis areas of southern Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of people had been sheltering after evacuating the northern part of the region.
Palestinian health officials have reported that 109 people were killed in the strikes on Friday, with dozens more injured.
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