Israeli attacks on Gaza this evening condemned in Ireland

international | anti-war / imperialism | press release Thursday March 24, 2011 00:12 by Free Gaza (Ireland)

Gaza under attack

PRESS RELEASE, 23/3/11 10pm

FREE GAZA MOVEMENT IN IRELAND CONDEMNS TONIGHT'S INCURSION AND ONGOING ISRAELI ATTACKS ON GAZA

Mohammad Al-Helou, a 7-year-old child killed in the Israeli attack yesterday (22/3/11)

Responding to tonight's apparent Israeli incursion of northern Gaza and yesterday's deadly Israeli air strikes against Gaza city, the Free Gaza Movement in Ireland called for an immediate end to the violence and for an Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. Ten people were killed including 7-year-old an 11-year-old boys, members of the Al-Helou family.

It is understood that many other Palestinians, including children, were severely injured in the air strikes by F16 aircraft and by Israeli shell fire.

Twenty-five Irish politicians, public figures and activists will sail to Gaza in late May on an Irish-owned ship as part of an international aid flotilla, 'Freedom Flotilla 2', which is organised by the same coalition that put together the flotilla attacked on 31 May last year by Israeli commandos.

Commenting on the current attacks in Gaza, Fintan Lane, national coordinator of the Irish Ship to Gaza Campaign and a member of the Free Gaza Movement, said: "Tonight's incursion is a very dangerous development. This cannot be allowed to continue. Yesterday's Israeli air strike was an absolute outrage and an unacceptable act of violence against a civilian population. If this happened anywhere else, there would be calls for a UN no-fly-zone. If the international community is seriously concerned about the people of Gaza, an Israeli withdrawal should be immediately demanded and we should seriously consider the exclusion of Israeli military aircraft from Gazan airspace. A no-fly zone is needed over Gaza to ensure the safety of the civilian population."

He continued: "The border incursions by Israeli tanks and troops are part of the ongoing illegal siege that must end immediately. The Palestinian people are entitled to live in peace and security without the danger of indiscriminate attacks by the Israeli armed forces."

In addition, the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has threatened further violence.

See: http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/netanyahu...51331

Reacting, Fintan Lane said: "It is clear that Israel is using the current focus on the crisis in Libya as a cover while they launch an assault on Gaza. It seems that they are cynically calculating that the international community will be preoccupied and that airstrikes and land attacks on Gaza won't be noticed or challenged."

PRESS RELEASE ENDS

To contact Fintan Lane, phone 087 1258325

Irish Ship to Gaza: www.irishshiptogaza.org