Sir, – The world is looking on in horror as thousands of innocent civilians in Gaza are brutally killed due to the indiscriminate bombardment by the Israeli army.
This follows the appalling attacks on Israeli civilians, and the plight of Israeli hostages remains one of deep concern.
Over two weeks more than 5,000 people, including 2,000 children, were killed by the Israeli army since hostilities escalated on October 9th. This figure does not include the thousands injured. Too many men killed, too many women killed, too many children killed. The scale of death is catastrophic. It is entirely avoidable.
Despite the extremely limited reopening of aid channels this week, the situation is dire with a critical shortage of food, water, fuel and medical supplies. Children, patients, babies in incubators and pregnant women will lose their lives if fuel is not provided to hospitals in Gaza.
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ActionAid is working with two local partners in Gaza who are doing their utmost to provide food and other relief items to families that they can reach. But access to supplies is limited and transportation to the shelters is challenging and dangerous. When it is safe to do so, we must be prepared to respond promptly, ensuring the well-being of thousands who will be left without access to food, water or shelter.
We stand at a critical juncture for our collective humanity.
ActionAid welcomes the Irish Government’s focus on respecting international law. Political leadership is badly needed from those with influence.
We implore the international community to do everything in their power to bring about an immediate ceasefire, reverse the evacuation order in Gaza, guarantee the full protection and safety of civilians and ensure lifesaving humanitarian assistance now. – Yours, etc,
KAROL BALFE,
Chief executive,
ActionAid Ireland,
Dublin 1.
Sir, – The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) may be about to commit acts of ethnic cleansing in the Gaza Strip, on a scale not seen since the wars of the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s, and since the birth of Israel in 1948.
Binyamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, has told Palestinians to leave. Last week the IDF ordered 1.1 million people in northern Gaza to move south and bombarded them as they went.
UN experts are warning of the risk of ethnic cleansing and genocide.
“Are you seriously asking me about Palestinian civilians?”, Naftali Bennett, former prime minister of Israel said to Sky News: “What is wrong with you? We are fighting Nazis.”
No politician in Israel, the US or Europe will be able to say, “I didn’t know”, if ethnic cleansing or even genocide in Gaza occurs. – Yours, etc
CONOR McCARTHY,
Monkstown,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – It is a strange, unprecedented state of affairs when I find myself agreeing with Paddy Cosgrave, Una Mullally, President Michael D Higgins and Leo Varadkar at the same time. When it comes to the war between Israel and Gaza, I suspect I am not alone in Ireland. It is long past the time for diplomacy to replace savagery. – Yours, etc,
SUSAN MESPIL,
Dublin 4.