Irish Deputy PM Demands EU Sanctions on Israel as Gaza Faces Near-Total Destruction

Irish Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Harris is calling on the European Union to finally act against Israel’s brutal military assault on Gaza—a campaign that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and reduced the territory to ruins. According to Irish public broadcaster RTE, Harris is urging EU foreign ministers to co-sign a letter to the bloc’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, demanding immediate sanctions.

“As Member States, we stand ready to work with you immediately to overcome the current obstacles and ensure that sufficient pressure is applied to the Israeli government to change its course and meet its obligations according to international law.”

Harris’s intervention comes amid mounting evidence that Israel’s attacks constitute systemic violations of international law. Since October 7, 2023, when Hamas carried out attacks on Israel, the Israeli military has responded with a disproportionate campaign of bombing, shelling, and blockade, killing 64,905 Palestinians as of Monday, including tens of thousands of civilians. Hospitals, schools, and vital infrastructure have been targeted, leaving Gaza on the brink of humanitarian collapse.

The EU’s response has been tepid at best. While Ursula von der Leyen condemned the violence as “unacceptable” and suggested freezing parts of Israel’s trade privileges, major powers within the bloc—Germany, Hungary, and the Czech Republic—have blocked meaningful punitive measures, effectively enabling Israel’s war crimes.

Countries like Ireland, Spain, Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands are pushing for sanctions, but the EU continues to waffle, exposing a profound moral failure. By failing to hold Israel accountable, the bloc risks being complicit in crimes that international law classifies as atrocities against civilians.

Harris’s letter is a rare moment of clarity in an otherwise fractured EU stance: the world cannot allow Israel to continue its campaign of mass violence while European leaders stand by. For the sake of Gaza’s survivors, sanctions are not optional—they are a moral and legal imperative.

©TNPP