Top politician calls on government to allow injured Palestinians to be treated in Irish hospitals

The leader of the Dublin parliament’s Foreign Affairs committee has called on the Irish government to allow Palestinians injured in the Israeli bombardment of Gaza to be treated in Irish hospitals.

Fine Gael TD Pat Breen made the call as thousands marched in support of the Palestinians at a Dublin rally.

The Sunday Independent reports that Breen has called on his party’s Coalition government to allow injured Palestinians to receive treatment in Irish hospitals.

Breen said: “I will be urging the Government to accept these Palestinians for treatment in Irish hospitals on humanitarian grounds.

“The Palestinian authorities intend to ask the EU to accept up to 1,800 injured citizens, as they do not have the capacity to treat all the injured themselves. Ireland will be asked to accept a tiny number of these citizens.”

A deputy for the Clare constituency, Breen wants the government to allow 10 Palestinians who have been seriously injured in the violence to be treated in Ireland.

The report says he has already spoken to the Palestinian Ambassador to Ireland about bringing some of the Gaza war wounded to Ireland for treatment.

Breen added: “It’s estimated that more than 9,000 Palestinians have been injured; almost 3,000 of them are children.

“The huge damage caused to infrastructure in the Gaza strip means the ability of local authorities to care for the injured is severely compromised.

“Without adequate hospital treatment for the injured, it is feared that the death toll will rise.”