Micheál Martin's convoy forced into emergency stop in Israel amid air raid warning
Micheál Martin earlier visited the Be’eri kibbutz in Israel where Emily Hand was last seen before the Oct 7 attacks.
The Tánaiste’s convoy was forced to make an emergency stop on route to Jerusalem amid an air raid warning.
Micheál Martin had visited the Kibbutz close to the Hamas border where Emily Hand was last seen and was making his way north-east of the city when an air raid siren went off.
The convoy was forced to stop for five minutes on the side of the road.
The Tánaiste’s car has a hard protective shell so he did not have to get out, however, his officials who were travelling directly behind had to get out of their bus and hunkered at the side of the road in protective gear.
Speaking after arriving in Jerusalem, Mr Martin said the savagery of the October 7 attacks was “beyond his comprehension”.
“There was a football in the ditch, kids playing, people having their daily meals, and suddenly this savage attack. That's all how one can describe it. I was shown photographs of mutilated bodies, and people killed and it is horrific what happened.
"As a human being, I can't comprehend that type of inhumanity.
“For us life is precious and how people could take life in such a savage way is beyond my comprehension,” he said.
Mr Martin said he had been told that the majority of Irish citizens in Gaza would be evacuated in the next three days.
On his meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, Mr Martin said: “I thanked him for the work that he's been doing in respect of getting Irish citizens out of Gaza and he gave me assurances that the majority of our citizens will be out of Gaza within the next three days.
"And we know that there's some coming out today although there has been a delay in respect of the processing side," he said.
Mr Martin said he wasn't sure how those delays would impact on foreign nationals coming out of Gaza.
Asked about his meeting with Mr Cohen, he said: “I get the sense this morning that Israel wants to believe that it can eliminate Hamas. We don't share that view, quite a number in Europe feel that. There has to be a political horizon at the end of the day in terms of how you resolve the overall situation in the region.
“But it seems to me from what I'm hearing, unfortunately, that there is a determination to keep going with the military campaign.”
Meanwhile, speaking in the Dáil on Thursday, Finance Minister Michael McGrath said the Tánaiste is currently “putting in the hard yards” to make progress on securing the passage of Irish citizens from Gaza into Egypt.
Mr Martin is "trying to make progress in securing the passage of the remaining Irish citizens who are in Gaza and also advocating for peace and having many difficult conversations with those that he needs to talk to on behalf of the Irish government to advocate for peace and advocate for a ceasefire," said Mr McGrath.
“Because the humanitarian situation that we are witnessing in Gaza is simply appalling.” He said that while Israel has the right to defend itself following the 7 October attack by Hamas, but it must do so within the confines of international law.
Mr McGrath rejected suggestions that Ireland needed to expel the Israeli ambassador, saying that it is necessary to keep channels of communications open to secure the safe return of Irish citizens from Gaza, including Emily Hand, who is believed to be held hostage by Hamas.
He added that the level of force that has been used, "in our view, has been completely disproportionate".
He said: “Civilians should be protected. Gaza and Hamas are not the same thing. The civilians in Gaza should not be the subject of collective punishment by the Israeli Defence Force.”
Mr McGrath said that Mr Martin should receive “steadfast” support from Dáil Éireann in advocating for peace, the release of hostages and the passage of Irish citizens through the Rafah crossing.
