US should be confronted over stance on Gaza, says local Cllr

Independent Councillor, Sean O' Brien, has called on Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and political leaders to confronth US President, Joe Biden, over the continuing US support for Israel's war against the people of Gaza.

Speaking at a fundraising event for medical aid for the children of Palestine in Lee's Bar in Tullamore on Sunday last, Cllr O'Brien said political leaders should "either not go to the White House on St. Patrick's Day as a form of protest or if they do, they should call, in public, on the US to end their support for Israel to continue this war of savagery against the innocent people of Gaza."

The Tullamore event was organised by David Mallahan, Tullamore for Gaza, and John Lee, and was a sell-out with many more people contributing online. Attendees were encouraged to donate online to UNICEF who are providing on the ground assistance to the people of Gaza.

Pointing out that the people of Ireland "utterly condemn the brutal murder of thousands of innocent citizens in Gaza" Cllr O'Brien said Ireland has always supported "a two state solution which would give the Palestinian people their own rightful state."

Referring to the war in Gaza as "genocide" the Tullamore-based Independent Cllr said over 27,000 people have been officially confirmed dead in Gaza and there are likely to be "thousands more buried in the ruins of buildings all over Gaza."

"UNICEF has reported that 17,000 children are now wandering about without any known family to care for them, and the Israeli army has not shown any respect for civilians by indiscriminately bombing northern Gaza and advising civilians to move south where they were bombed again" said Cllr O'Brien, who added that the civilians of Gaza are "living in squalor with no sanitary facilities or sanitary products."