Make your voice heard to stop the killing of innocent civilians

A chara,

I am writing to you to demand an urgent de-escalation of the violence in Gaza and an immediate, sustained ceasefire. I am asking you to use every method at your disposal to ensure that this happens.

The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is intolerable and the inhumanity of it can no longer be ignored. The UN, multiple aid agencies and genocide scholars around the world have raised the alarm that a Genocide is happening before our eyes.

Following over a month of bombardment, over 1.9 million people have been displaced. Over 29 thousand people have been killed, over 11.5 thousand of whom are children. At least 56 thousand people are injured - this includes thousands of children, many of whom have been orphaned and have no surviving family members. The number of bodies buried under rubble is unknown. Hundreds of Palestinian children have had one or both legs amputated, many without anaesthesia. Indeed, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross, ‘The healthcare system in Gaza has reached a point of no return, risking the lives of thousands of wounded, sick and displaced people’. There is not enough food, water, or electricity.  According to UNRWA what is happening is an ‘unprecedented catastrophe’. The UN Secretary General has described Gaza as ‘a graveyard for children’. 

The Israeli government is collectively punishing the population of Gaza for the actions of Hamas but collective punishment is a war crime that breaches international humanitarian law. Moreover, as of the end of the year, 27 out of 35 hospitals in Gaza are not functioning, over 3 thousand medical staff have been killed and 102 ambulances have been targeted in attacks on health infrastructure in Gaza. Intentionally directing attacks on medical facilities and transport is also a violation of international law. No country has the right to commit war crimes or breach international humanitarian law, even in the name of ‘self-defence’. Claims of Hamas using medical facilities to hide have not been proven - this defence in attacking hospitals is unjustifiable and barbaric.

I am proud that our representatives, regardless of political party, have voiced criticism of the actions of Israel and called for a ceasefire, but this is not enough: actions speak louder than words and it is apparent that our words alone have not had much effect. Our history obliges us to act when injustice is being committed. We have a duty to use our influence to protect innocent lives. I implore you to take concrete steps, not only to express solidarity with Palestinians, but to exert real pressure on Israel to take heed. Moreover, Ireland has the power to set an example to other EU states and to put an end to its complicity in war crimes. As one of the most politically progressive states in Europe, we must not stand by while other members prioritise political and economic agenda and historical guilt over basic humanitarian principles. 

The violence of today will create the violence of tomorrow: even if Hamas in its current form is destroyed, what will be the legacy of these weeks? What is to become of over a million displaced people, cities decimated, a generation of children traumatised? All of these factors are likely to result in further extremism. We cannot be so naive to think that the violence that Israel is waging on civilians in Gaza will lead to peace - for Palestinians or Israelis. 

Thousands of Irish citizens have taken to the streets to raise their voices and to make their wishes clear. It is your duty to listen. The Taoiseach and the Irish Government need to demonstrate the strength of our insistence on an immediate and sustained ceasefire by taking the following steps:

• Invoke the Genocide Convention and refer Israel to the International Criminal Court
• Expel the Israeli Ambassador
• Pass the Occupied Territories Bill and the Illegal Settlements Divestment Bill
• Pressure the EU to suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement

The world is watching. We will not forget the actions of our elected representatives, who have the power to call for an end to this humanitarian crisis, or conversely, to be complicit in it. Please make my voice heard.

Sincerely,

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