Taoiseach Calls for Urgent Review of EU-Israel Agreement Amid Gaza Crisis

Taoiseach Simon Harris has called for an urgent review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, citing what he described as “growing evidence of a prolonged humanitarian catastrophe” in Gaza.

Harris’s statement comes as reports from Gaza indicate that the death toll in the region is nearing 40,000 following an Israeli airstrike on the al-Taba’een school, which allegedly killed around 100 people.

Describing the attack as “gut-wrenching,” Harris noted that nearly 500 schools in Gaza have been bombed or damaged since the conflict began. “Ireland condemns outright such awful and wholesale loss of civilian life,” he said.

This call for a review follows a similar appeal made earlier this year by former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. They had urged European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to assess Israel’s compliance with human rights obligations under the EU-Israel Association Agreement.

In a statement released this morning, Harris reiterated the need for the EU to uphold the human rights clauses within the agreement.

“I do not believe it is conscionable for the EU to continue to render them redundant,” he stated.

Harris also expressed deep concern over reports from the United Nations, which indicate that the number of aid deliveries to Gaza has significantly decreased, with fewer than 80 trucks per day reaching the territory in recent months.

He highlighted that only 24 of 67 planned aid missions to northern Gaza this month have been facilitated by Israel.

With more than 80% of Gaza’s population under evacuation orders and many seeking refuge in schools that have also come under attack, Harris warned that the world is “standing at the precipice of a horrific moment.”

He stressed the importance of accountability, stating, “We have all been horrified by the many undoubted war crimes that have been committed in Gaza.

There can be no impunity. Those responsible must be held to account.”

Harris concluded by calling for an immediate ceasefire, the unconditional release of Israeli hostages, and the unimpeded flow of aid into Gaza.

He also emphasized the necessity of implementing all legally binding orders from the International Court of Justice, noting that “too many innocent lives have been lost in ten months.”