00:00The Irish Prime Minister, Michael Martin, has described Gaza as hell on earth
00:05and criticized the EU's lack of response to the humanitarian situation in Gaza
00:10and reiterated calls to reopen the EU-Israel Association agreement.
00:16The Prime Minister met with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen
00:20to discuss this as well as the ongoing trade war with the U.S.
00:25Speaking with Euronews, he said Ireland condemns Hamas' terrorism
00:29and wants all the hostages kidnapped by Hamas released,
00:33but says Israel's war has lost its moral compass.
00:36It's quite shocking what is now happening within Gaza
00:40to have an effective blockade for 50 days and more, 60 days maybe now,
00:46in terms of food, in terms of the essentials of life, the bare necessities of life.
00:51In my view, it must be considered a war crime.
00:55And I don't say that easily.
00:57I want the resolution.
00:59We want the restoration of the ceasefire.
01:01We want the release of all hostages.
01:02Israel launched its war in Gaza in response to the Hamas attack on October 7th of 2023.
01:09In my view, it was shocking to take people as hostages.
01:12These were innocent people at a concert in their kibbutz.
01:16I went to Kibbutz Beirut myself to see at first hand the impact of the horrific Hamas attack on Israel.
01:25And that was shocking and horrible.
01:27And I've condemned it from the outset, and I went there to show empathy with the people who had been attacked.
01:32So all those, I mean, the hostages should have been released a long time ago.
01:35But the war that has been waged in response, in my view, has lost any moral compass at this stage
01:43in terms of its unacceptable impact on the civilian population and on children.
01:50Israel described in the past the Irish policy as extreme anti-Israeli.
01:55You can watch the whole interview next Tuesday on the Europe Conversation.
01:59And I'll see you next time.
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