The Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not telling the truth about aid deliveries to Gaza.
Asked by RTÉ News about Mr Netanyahu’s claim on American television that Israel had greatly expanded the delivery of food aid into Gaza, and that he blames Hamas for stalling food deliveries to displaced persons, Mr Varadkar said:
“Look, I don’t buy it. It’s very clear to me from the people who are on the ground, not just the UN agencies, but also the Red Cross and other international agencies that are on the ground, that they’re saying to us the opposite. They’re saying to us that Israel isn’t allowing enough aid to come in across the land crossings. That’s why the European Union has opened up this corridor from Cyprus, it’s why the Jordanians and the Americans are doing airdrops.”
The Taoiseach, who is on an annual diplomatic meeting in Washington where he has pressed US president Joe Biden on the need for a ceasefire in Gaza, then stated “It’s very clear to us that what Prime Minister Netanyahu is saying in relation to aid just isn’t true.”
“I strongly believe that his efforts to find a military solution to eliminate a mass will not succeed. Hamas exists outside of Gaza and is present in other parts of the Middle East. And I think that the reaction by Israel and what it’s doing to the Palestinian people will drive that ideology and that extreme Hamas ideology of a more radicalised people. It’s a big mistake,” Mr Varadkar added.
The Taoiseach concluded by saying “I don’t think it’s in the interests of Israel’s long term security to believe that there is a military solution that gives them security. We’ve had 100 years of violence now in that region. And it’s very clear to me that the solution is not going to be eliminating a terrorist organisation like Hamas – and it is a terrorist organisation – because the ideology behind it just becomes stronger until there’s a just and lasting peace.”
Speaking earlier on CNN, Mr Netanyahu said his government’s policy is “to attack famine”, and have the entry of humanitarian aid as needed and as much as needed.”
“We have created alternative supply routes, we allow the dropping of the air of humanitarian aid, a sea route that we’ve co-operated with – and it started yesterday.”
He said the problem is not getting the trucks in, “the problem is that once they’re getting in, they get looted by Hamas or looted by gangs, and what we are trying to do with some other powers is to try to get the aid to the actual civilians who need it, and not looted by Hamas. That’s why I’ve enabled alternative routes of supply.”
“Our policy is to enable humanitarian aid.”
Mr Nethanyahu added “that’s been a constant element in our whole programme, which is to destroy Hamas militarily, but also to supply humanitarian aid to civilians, and the main obstacle to that is actually Hamas.”
Asked if it is fundamentally Israel’s responsibility to ensure starving civilians get food, and that he is doing everything in his power to make sure that happens, Mr Netanyahu said “categorically yes”.
The Israeli prime minister said it was cynical and wrong to try and place the blame on Israel, which he said is doing everything it can to minimise civilian casualties.
