Aysu Bicer
23 July 2025•Update: 23 July 2025
LONDON
Ireland’s Taoiseach (prime minister) Micheal Martin has strongly criticized Israel’s ongoing genocidal conduct in Gaza, warning of its devastating impact on civilians, particularly children, and calling for an urgent escalation in humanitarian assistance.
“It’s a stain on Israel at this stage. It’s a shame that any government would continue a war that is wreaking such devastation on poor children and innocent children at the scale and level that is happening,” Martin said in an interview with RTE’s Morning Ireland on Tuesday.
His comments come amid mounting international concern over the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in the Palestinian territory.
More than 100 aid organizations have now warned that “mass starvation” is spreading across Gaza, where food, water, and medical supplies remain critically scarce.
Martin said humanity is “shocked by what is happening in Gaza,” describing the situation as “beyond any comprehension” and pointing to the “horrific” images emerging from the region.
He added that he was “very disturbed by the undermining of the UN and the relief organizations” working to deliver aid.
The Taoiseach called for a “massive surge” in humanitarian assistance into Gaza, emphasizing the need for immediate and unhindered access for aid agencies.
Since March 2, Israel has stalled on implementing a ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal with Hamas and has kept Gaza’s border crossings shut, leaving humanitarian aid trucks stranded along the frontier.
Israel has killed more than 59,100 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in the Gaza Strip since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, collapsed the health system, and led to severe food shortages.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
