The Israeli Ambassador has criticised the Palestinian Ambassador for allegedly failing to condemn Hamas as a “genocidal terrorist organisation”.
Speaking from Israel – where she has been since Ireland announced it would recognise Palestine as a State – Dana Erlich said she believes she and Dr Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid both “want to live peacefully”.
“But she’s not condemning a genocidal terrorist organisation that is also targeting her own population,” she told The Pat Kenny Show.
“Not to mention she is not condemning the sexual violence against women, children and men - is that the partner we need to negotiate with?”
Civilians killed in hostage rescue
Hamas has claimed 200 Palestinians and three hostages – including a US citizen – were killed amid an operation that rescued four Israeli hostages.
Dr Abdalmajid said these killings are “in breach of every law and principle of humankind”.
“I want all the hostages back home, but not at the price of killing Palestinian people.
“I'm not here to talk about Hamas or talk about the talks going on on a daily basis.
“I don’t want to think on behalf of Hamas – I think about my people, the Palestinian people.”
She agreed that the civilian hostages in Gaza should be brought back to Israel as soon as possible – but noted Israel has repeatedly rejected ceasefire negotiations.
Israel and Hamas negotiations
Ms Erlich said Hamas' tally of causalities amid the rescue operation cannot be trusted.
“How is it possible after an operation, Hamas already knows the exact number of people who were killed?” she asked.
“In no war do we know the causalities so quickly.”
She asked that people have the same “critical eye” towards Hamas that many have towards Israel.
The Israeli Ambassador also said it was “tragic” that any civilians were killed – but the responsibility is on Hamas.
“The only way to make sure that no civilians are killed is not to hide behind them and release all the kidnapped,” she said.
“If you hold kidnapped [people] in the home of a family in the centre of a very populated area with terrorists who are armed and firing, the assumption of those terrorists is that civilians will get hurt.”
Photo of former Israeli hostage Noa Argamani held captive in Gaza by Hamas, on a street in Tel Aviv. Image: UPI / Alamy Stock PhotoShe said Israel needs to ensure there are no “genocidal threats” from Hamas before they could consider agreeing to a ceasefire.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Egypt today to discuss a ceasefire proposal between Israel and Hamas introduced by the Biden administration.
Neither Hamas nor Israel have been able to agree to any kind of ceasefire or hostage deal since the end of last year.
Dr Abdalmajid said the US proposal was altered from its initial wording, causing a delay in negotiations.
Centrist Benny Gantz resigned from Israel’s emergency war cabinet yesterday, saying that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is “preventing us from progressing to a real victory”.
