Ireland says Israel targeting Palestinian people and not just Hamas

Ireland’s foreign minister said Thursday that Israel is targeting Palestinian people and not just Hamas with its military campaign in Gaza, and he wants the European Union to review its ties with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.

“This is a war against Palestinians not just against Hamas. The level of civilian casualties and dead is unconscionable,” Micheál Martin said at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels. “It’s a war on the population. No point in trying to fudge this.”

He said a recent ruling by the International Court of Justice that Israel’s occupation of Gaza and the West Bank is unlawful obliges the EU to take action.

“It cannot be business as usual,” Martin told reporters. “It is very clear to us that international humanitarian law has been broken.”

Ties between the EU and Israel — which are major trading partners — are governed by a so-called Association Agreement. Ireland and Spain have been pressing their EU partners to examine whether Israel has broken the rules.

Martin also said that Ireland’s transport department was looking into reports that Israel may have transported weapons through Irish airspace without permission.

“Any cargo planes carrying weapons must seek exemptions. Exemptions have not been sought in respect of any flights,” he said.