Tanaiste Micheal Martin forced to make emergency stop in Israel after bomb scare close to Hamas border
THE Tanaiste's convoy was forced to make an emergency stop when an air raid siren rang out during his visit to Israel as more Irish citizens left Gaza.
Micheal Martin had visited the Kibbutz close to the Hamas border where Emily Hand was taken hostage and was making his way towards Jerusalem when an air raid siren went off.
The convoy was forced to make an emergency stop when the sirens went off.
The Tanaiste did not have to leave his vehicle when the siren went off as his car was reinforced, but his team, who were travelling in an accompanying bus, did have to flee to a nearby bunker.
No one was injured, and the group returned to the bus shortly after the alert and resumed their journey to Jerusalem before driving to Ramallah in the West Bank.
The delegation included Irish Ambassador to Israel Sonya McGuinness along with Martin’s political staff and Department of Foreign Affairs officials.
READ MORE IRISH NEWS
Air raid sirens regularly ring out in Israel amid the war in Gaza which erupted after the Hamas terrorist attack last month.
Speaking after arriving in Jerusalem, Martin said the savagery of the October 7 attacks was “beyond his comprehension”.
The Tanaiste also revealed he has been given assurances from Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen that the majority of Irish citizens still in Gaza will be able to leave within the next three days.
The Fianna Fail leader thanked Mr Cohen for assisting Irish citizens to be evacuated from Gaza.
Most read in Irish News
And Martin told how Mr Cohen gave him “assurances that the majority of those citizens will be able to leave Gaza within the next three days”.
He added: “We know that there are some coming up today - although there has been a delay in respect to the processing side.
“It impacts on all foreign nationals coming out of Gaza.”
The Tanaiste today revealed three more Irish citizens managed to cross from Gaza into Egypt.
Martin said it was a lower number than hoped for due to “processing delays” but he believes it is likely most will get out by Sunday.
This comes as almost two dozen Irish citizens made it out of war-torn Gaza yesterday.
Martin said some of the 23 citizens that crossed the border into Egypt were families with children, but he could not give more personal information - as work continues to help those remaining.
An Irish-Palestinian man, who is based in Co Kildare, has been told his two children will not make it across the border from Gaza into Egypt today after an apparent administrative error.
Khalid El Estal was told by the Department of Foreign Affairs that his children, Alim four, and Sara, one, did not make it through the Rafah Crossing, despite their names being on a list of those who can cross and he is hopeful that they will now be able to leave Gaza tomorrow.
He understands they will leave the crossing but stay close by in southern Gaza overnight before attempting to cross again tomorrow.
The children's mother, Ashwak, was sadly killed from injuries sustained during the Israeli shelling of Gaza last month.
The two kids were expected to travel through the Rafah Crossing this morning, accompanied by Mr El Estal's brother-in-law.
Speaking earlier to RTE’s Morning Ireland, he told how he is "really excited" to take care of them, admitting: "That is the will of my wife."
The Belfast born man said: "I hope they can be safe, you know, between travelling.”
'SHE WILL BE ALWAYS IN MY HEART'
And the heartbroken husband admitted that he still messages his wife to tell her how beautiful Ireland is.
He said: "She will be always in my heart. I am still sending her messages in WhatsApp...
"She is with us. I can feel her with me there all the time."
During his visit, the Tanaiste visited Be’eri Kibbutz in southern Israel where kidnapped eight-year-old Emily Hand was living before the Irish-Israeli child was abducted by Hamas.
Emily’s dad Tom, from Dublin, was initially told she was among a group of people killed in a massacre on the kibbutz.
But Tom is now clinging to hope following news his daughter is believed to be a hostage in Gaza.
CRUSADING CAMPAIGN
Crusading Tom has launched a campaign in a bid to get the Irish-Israeli child freed from her Hamas hell.
Tanaiste Martin has pledged to raise Emily’s case “in all appropriate meetings” with political leaders during his visit to the Middle East.
Survivors of the Be’eri Kibbutz October 7 attacks told the Fianna Fail leader of their trauma.
Martin was also shown into wrecked family homes that were charred and destroyed when Hamas fighters entered the settlement and killed more than 100.
Some 70 people, including eight-year-old Emily, remain missing.
HARROWING SCENES
A barrage of bombs could be heard exploding just a short distance over the border in Gaza as Martin was told of the harrowing scenes witnessed by survivors in the initial attack on the kibbutz.
Major Libby Weiss, of the Israel Defense Forces, told Martin how 80 per cent of the bodies found in the settlement showed signs of torture.
She told him: “These were family homes, these were people living here.”
As he toured some of the burnt out homes, Martin admitted was “deeply saddened” by his visit to the Be’eri kibbutz.
He branded the deadly Hamas attack on October 7 as “savage”.
Martin insisted the atrocities which unfolded there were “horrific” as he was shown how some of those killed had been tortured or their bodies mutilated.
'SUCH INHUMANITY'
Martin said: “As a human being, I can’t comprehend such inhumanity.”
Micheal - who was met by Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen - had earlier visited the town of Sderot, which has now been evacuated.
Cohen organised a meeting between the Tanaiste and the Mayor of Sderot, Alon Davidi, who took aim at Ireland’s stance on the conflict.
Davidi issued a plea for Ireland to support his country’s military campaign in Gaza.
The Mayor of Sderot likened Hamas to the so-called Islamic State and insisted the Israeli Defense Forces needed to “finish the job” and not call a ceasefire.
He told the Tanaiste that his 25-year-old daughter is still crying about the attack - frozen by fear when sirens sound and warn of an impending rocket attack.
'ARE YOU WITH US?'
In a calm tone he asked Martin: "Are you with us?”
But the Tanaiste insisted a military solution in Israel’s war on Hamas could exacerbate the problem - and called for a ceasefire.
Martin warned: “Our sense is that you will radicalise the opinion of future generations even more.
“We worry about innocent children in Gaza who are not part of Hamas but who are getting killed right now.”
Mr Martin added: “There’s a young Irish child, a dual citizen, that is a hostage - Emily Hand - in Gaza right now. The idea that small children, she has no next of kin in Gaza, the idea that small children are held hostage is just an unconscionable act.”
Martin also spoke about the conflict in Northern Ireland, highlighting the “horrendous acts committed” over the 30 years of the Troubles.
'HERE TO SEE & LISTEN'
Martin assured locals that he had come to witness first-hand the attacks on Israel.
The Tanaiste said: “I am here to see, and to listen.”
Following discussions with Israeli leaders, Micheal said his impression is that there is a determination to continue with its military campaign in Gaza.
Martin said: “I get the sense that Israel wants to believe that it can… eliminate Hamas militarily. We don’t share that view.”
Read more on the Irish Sun
The Fianna Fail man said there has to be a political horizon at the end of the day in terms of how to resolve the overall situation in the region.
He added: “I’m very clear that we we do need humanitarian ceasefire.”
