End in sight for genocide

Ireland has been welcoming a ceasefire agreement to end the slaughter in Gaza after 15 months of horror during which Israel killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and launched waves of attacks against several other countries.

It is expected Israel’s cabinet will convene this Thursday morning to endorse the deal, before it comes into effect on Sunday.

A six-week initial ceasefire phase includes the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip and the release of Palestinian hostages taken by Israel in exchange for those hostages held by Hamas.

Heavy daily bombardments, supported by the EU, Britain and the US, has left Gaza entirely in ruins and and killed or ethnically cleansed most of the enclave’s pre-war population of 2.3 million.

Figures for the number of innocent civilians killed range from official measures of under 50,000, to hundreds of thousands as estimated by international medical groups. Most of the dead are women and children.

Atrocities are continuing to take place ahead of the ceasefire, and the death toll is still rising. There are still severe shortages of food, water and fuel.

Despite this, some Palestinians have been celebrating, and Khalil Al-Hayya, a prominent Hamas leader, expressed pride in the Palestinian people’s struggle.

He paid tribute to those who lost their lives, honouring fallen leaders from Hamas and other factions for their sacrifices in the Palestinian cause.

He described Operation Aqsa Typhoon, a broad attack in October 2023, as a pivotal moment in Palestinian history, striking a major blow against Israel.

He said that the sacrifices of the people of Gaza would never be compromised, and no one in the movement would forget or forgive the violence inflicted on Gaza.

Internationally, there are hopes the ceasefire will facilitate the arrests of wanted Israeli war criminals, Benjamin Netanyahu and Noav Gallant, and spur action against other Israeli leaders and those in the US, Britain and the EU who conspired in the genocide.

Irish Taoiseach Simon Harris welcomed the ceasefire deal following what he said were 15 months of “immense human suffering and destruction”.

“I hope that all sides will seize this opportunity, fully honouring their commitments, allowing hostages to return to their families and the people of Gaza to begin rebuilding their lives and I hope that it will lead to a permanent arrangement,” he said.

The Tánaiste, Micheál Martin, said the international community must play its part by working to “put a process in place that can lead to lasting peace” and called for a ‘two-state solution’.

Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald also welcomed the ceasefire, which she said must be the starting point of a just and lasting peace and the realisation of an independent Palestinian state.

She added that the immediate priority must be to drastically increase humanitarian aid into Gaza to alleviate the “catastrophe” that Israel has inflicted on the Palestinian people.

“The announcement of a ceasefire is welcome. The joy with which the announcement was met by the people of Gaza is a reflection of their immense suffering. They have endured fifteen months of genocide, the slaughter of entire generations of families, mass displacement, the destruction of their communities, the obliteration of their school and hospitals, and starvation.

“Israel, with impunity, has committed the most brutal war crimes and human rights violations in full sight of the world. There must now be an urgent and drastic increase in the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.”

She called for an “immediate end to the brutality and a durable cessation of Israel’s war on a civilian, refugee population. I welcome that the deal will secure the release of hostages held by Israel and Hamas.

“The international community must see to it that this is the starting point of a just and lasting peace and the realisation of an independent Palestinian state. The primacy of international law must be restored, necessitating the dismantling of Israel’s systems of occupation and apartheid.

“If Israel continues to flout international law, it must face appropriate sanctions. For Ireland this means the passing of the Occupied Territories Bill at the earliest opportunity. Israel must also be held to account for its horrific war crimes.

“The ordinary people of Ireland have protested and marched in solidarity with the people of Gaza and Palestine as they endured this horror. We now stand with them in the hope that this brutal nightmare is ending and that they and their children can look forward to a future of peace, freedom, human rights and justice. The world has a duty and a moral obligation to ensure that this future is achieved.”

Urgent Appeal