DUBLIN — Children in the Gaza Strip are the first and most affected victims of a war aimed at wiping out the Palestinians from that territory.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) has said more than 15,000 children in Gaza have been killed, over 34,000 injured, and nearly one million displaced. There’s no other place in the world where there are so many child amputees per capita than Gaza.
Tens of thousands of Gaza’s children are separated from their parents, many of whom were killed in the Israeli forces’ daily air bombardment of the territory, where more than two million people are virtually starving, as Israel has blocked aid from entering Gaza. It only allows its own selected aid organization to deliver food.
Scores of Palestinians are being shot dead as they try to collect food at the few distribution centers in Gaza. The hunger and despair of the thousands of civilians there are causing deep psychological trauma, especially among the children, who are likely to never fully recover from it.
The global community has long been shocked by this. Some governments have become more outspoken, like Ireland’s, in condemning the atrocities, but many others are doing nothing to stop the violence. Ireland is one of three European nations — Spain and Norway are the other two — that have recognized Palestinian statehood.
In a statement in May, Irish Foreign Minister Simon Harris said that since March 2025, 44,000 trucks carrying food and medicine, including four from Ireland, had been blocked from entering Gaza while its people go hungry as constant Israeli attacks continue to kill more of them.
“What is happening [in Gaza] goes against our humanity. It goes against the strongly held values of the people of Ireland. It goes against the desire for peace, stability and security,” Harris said.
“A failure by the international community to respond to this moment is also a rebuke to multilateralism, to international law, to the universal applicability of human rights at home and across the world,” he added.
Harris made it clear that Ireland’s position is to support the Palestinians in their need for peace and justice, and their struggle for survival. He also reiterated his country’s denunciation of the Palestinian militant group that sparked the war in Gaza and great concern over Israel’s retaliatory offensive.
“We unequivocally condemn the terror attacks by Hamas in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. We unequivocally condemn the taking of hostages by Hamas and have repeatedly called for their release,” Harris said.
“Hamas have brought nothing but death and destruction to the people of Palestine and Israel alike. We strongly condemn the continuing Israeli military operations in Gaza and are alarmed at reports that Israel plans to extend these operations,” he added. (To be continued)/PN
