Sir,
how civilized of EU leaders “to be edging towards issuing a demand for a humanitarian pause in the bombardment of Gaza to allow for aid to reach Palestinian civilians”
(https://www.irishtimes.com/world/middle-east/2023/10/23/eu-edges-towards-call-for-humanitarian-pause-in-gaza-bombardment/) How heartening this will be for those remaining relatives of the over 2,360 children, or the sole remaining members of whole extended families, slaughtered by Israel so far in its vengeful, high-tech, genocidal bombardment of Gaza. UNICEF estimate that over 400 children are being either killed or injured daily (https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/child-casualties-gaza-growing-stain-our-collective-conscience)
Let us be clear. Israel is not fighting a terrorist organisation. It is indiscriminately killing as many Palestinians as it can get away with – shamefully aided and abetted by most western leaders – and dislodging Gazans from their homes in an escalation of its decades old policy of ethnic cleansing. The responsibility for the normalisation in western consciousness of killing over 400 Palestinian civilians every day, so many of these children – rests with world political leaders and an acquiescent media.
Yet hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of concerned citizens of all creeds and cultures fill the streets of cities around the world calling for end to the carnage. There must be an immediate permanent ceasefire that allows for massive humanitarian aid to be allowed into Gaza and for negotiations on an exchange of hostages. The aim of any peace talks must be to permanently lift the 17-year-old siege of Gaza which is the ultimate cause of this latest upsurge of violence.
Yours etc,
JIM ROCHE
PRO Steering Committee, Irish Anti-War Movement,
PO Box 9260,
Dublin 1.
