March 28, 2024 (EIRNS)—The announcement was made yesterday by Ireland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defense Micheál Martin, the Tánaiste, or second-ranking official in the Irish government. “What we are seeing in Gaza now, represents the blatant violation of international humanitarian law on a mass scale…. The purposeful withholding of humanitarian assistance to civilians. The targeting of civilians and of civilian infrastructure. The indiscriminate use of explosive weapons in populated areas. The use of civilian objects for military purposes. The collective punishment of an entire population. The list goes on. It has to stop,” Martin said in making the announcement.
He directed officials to commence work on a Declaration of Intervention under Article 63 of the Statute of the International Court of Justice. The immediate impact of the announcement is the statement of intent itself, because the legal process will likely take “a number of months.” Other nations are preparing to do the same, the Foreign Affairs statement made clear, reporting that “Ireland will liaise closely with a number of partners who have also confirmed their intention to intervene.”
