Leo Varadkar says fact that Hamas may not pause hostilities with Israel needs to be ‘borne in mind’
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is attending a meeting of the EU Council in Brussels, where the Israel-Hamas conflict is high on the agends. Photograph: Nick BradshawTaoiseach Leo Varadkar has said he will push EU leaders to call for a “humanitarian ceasefire” in Gaza at today’s meeting of the EU Council in Brussels, but he warned that Hamas may not observe such a pause.
That meeting will also be attended by European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, who has been criticised in several quarters for initially taking a pro-Israel stance when she visited Tel Aviv in the wake of the October 7th Hamas attacks. She backed Israel’s right to defend itself without any reference to international law or the rights of Palestinians.
Asked if Ireland would be advocating an open-ended ceasefire, Mr Varadkar replied: “We’re not going to put a timeline on it. What we’re looking for is the EU calling for a humanitarian ceasefire. We’re not going to put a timeframe on it. “No, is the short answer,” he said. “It’s a peacekeeping operation, not a peace enforcement operation, so we wouldn’t envisage Irish UN troops being involved in active combat.”NI visit by US economic delegation should ‘act as a spur’ to restore Stormont, O’Neill saysRTÉ presenter takes defamation case against Mail publisher
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