Ireland: By targeting civilians, Israel is in breach of int'l law

An aerial view of the search and rescue operations in the destroyed buildings and rubble after the attack on Al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza City, Gaza on October 12, 2023 [Ashraf Amra – Anadolu Agency]

Israel does not have a right to breach international law in its effort to defend itself, Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said in an interview last night.

Varadkar told RTE One: “Israel is under threat. They do have a right to defend themselves, but they don’t have the right to breach international humanitarian law.”

“I’m really concerned about what I’m seeing happening in Gaza at the moment,” he added.

In reference to Israel’s decision to cut off water, electricity and essential supplies to the 2.3 million Palestinians trapped in the besieged Gaza Strip, he added:

To me, it amounts to collective punishment. Cutting off power, cutting off fuel supplies and water supplies, that’s not the way a respectable democratic state should conduct itself.

“Operations that clearly affect civilians disproportionately are wrong,” he continued.

“I believe by targeting civilians and by cutting off civilian infrastructure, that is a breach of international humanitarian law.”

READ: Israel tells 1.1m Palestinians in north Gaza to leave

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