Irish leader's critical response after Netanyahu lectured world on Gaza genocide

 Taoiseach Micheal Martin criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his lack of empathy to the suffering in Gaza, asking: "I don't know how such a person sleeps at night."

Minutes after Mr. Netanyahu criticized the United Nations assembly for supporting a Palestinian state on Friday, Mr. Martin argued that nothing could justify the bloodshed and man-made famine in the strip.

The Israeli leader labeled the decision of Ireland and other nations to recognize a Palestinian state as "a mark of shame".

However, Mr. Martin countered in his speech to the UN General Assembly, asserting that Ireland "stands in full solidarity" with the Palestinian people. It comes after Trump, who urged the Gaza war to end immediately during his speech to the UN, was mocked for the size of the font on his script.

He urged the Israeli leadership to allow independent journalists and observers to witness the reality, reports the Irish Mirror.

"It seems to me that he's completely blind to the horrors of children who have been burned, been bombed, who've been maimed, mutilated in Gaza.

"And I don't understand how a person can go to sleep at night responsible for such trauma, such carnage in Gaza,".

"So his speech in that perspective is deeply, deeply disappointing to say the least."

In his official address earlier, Mr. Martin also denounced Israel's actions as a genocide.

"It is not possible to describe the scale of the physical and psychological suffering endured by the Palestinian people for two long and brutal years," the Taoiseach said.

"What is happening in Gaza cannot be justified or defended. It is an abandonment of all norms, all international rules and law.

"We are witnessing hunger being used as an instrument of war. Babies starving to death while aid rots at the border.

"People shot while desperately seeking food for their families. The deliberate targeting and destruction of schools, hospitals, mosques, cultural institutions.

"The killing of doctors, aid workers, journalists. Genocide. The gravest of crimes in international law."

Mr. Martin received applause from delegates when he urged nations with influence over Israel, such as the US, to take more action to halt the atrocities.

He continued: "Those responsible for war crimes must be held accountable – there can be no impunity.

"We also need to hold to account those responsible for the attack on Israel of October 7, 2023 – that too was a monstrous war crime.

"Hamas, not the Palestinian people, were responsible. Hamas must answer for its crimes. Hamas can have no role in the future governance in Palestine. But no crime, however heinous, can justify genocide.

"A two-state solution remains the only prospect for a peaceful future in which the people of Israel and the people of Palestine can live in peace and security, side-by-side."

The Taoiseach also staunchly defended the UN and its system of international rules and law, which is celebrating its 80th anniversary at the conference in New York this week.

US President Donald Trump used his address earlier this week to attack the world body and brand it pointless.

He added: "80 years ago, the world was emerging from the most savage conflict in our history. 80 million people lay dead.

"A deliberate, industrial-scale genocide, aimed at obliterating Europe's Jewish population, saw six million people murdered – a monstrous crime that remains unsurpassed in human history.

But the Taoiseach said: "As it marks its 80th anniversary, the United Nations has never been more necessary. The UN continues to represent the best of humanity.

"If it falters, it is not because it "is no longer relevant, it is because we, as Leaders, have let it down.

"Since Ireland joined in 1955, the United Nations has been the cornerstone of our foreign policy. There is no Member State more committed to its ideals.

"Like all small Member States, we depend on the UN Charter and the protections of international law for our security and well-being.

"At a time when the world risks slipping back into an order in which might is right, and some voices count more than others, it is up to us as Leaders to reassert and to insist on the primacy of international cooperation."

The Taoiseach proceeded to advocate for Ireland's bid for a position on the UN's powerful Human Rights Council in 2027.

He also called for additional sanctions on Russia to force it into peace negotiations regarding Ukraine and drew attention to the looming threat of devastating famine in Sudan. The Taoiseach reflected on Ireland's distinguished legacy of UN peacekeeping spanning 67 years, which includes four decades of service in Lebanon.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered his address just one hour prior to the Taoiseach's speech.

Surrounded by detractors and demonstrators, he declared to fellow global leaders on Friday that his country "must finish the job" against Hamas in Gaza, delivering a resolute address despite mounting international isolation over his unwillingness to halt the catastrophic conflict.

"Western leaders may have buckled under the pressure," he stated. "And I guarantee you one thing: Israel won't."

His remarks came after dozens of representatives from various countries staged a mass walkout from the UN General Assembly hall on Friday as he commenced his address.

In response to recent national decisions to acknowledge Palestinian statehood, Netanyahu declared: "Your disgraceful decision will encourage terrorism against Jews and against innocent people everywhere."

He confronts international isolation, allegations of war crimes and intensifying demands to conclude a conflict he has persistently intensified.

In recent days, Australia, Canada, France, the United Kingdom and others joined Ireland in declaring recognition of an independent Palestinian state.

Tánaiste Simon Harris is urging the European Union for a swift vote on implementing tariffs and sanctions against Israel. The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu, accusing him of crimes against humanity, a claim he refutes.

The UN's highest court is currently considering South Africa's allegations that Israel committed genocide in Gaza, a charge Israel strongly denies.

During a special assembly session this week, countries around the world expressed their shock at the 2023 attack by Hamas militants that resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths in Israel, took 251 hostages, and sparked the war.

Many representatives called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and a surge in aid.

Israel's extensive offensive has resulted in over 65,000 Palestinian deaths in Gaza and displaced 90% of its population, with a growing number now facing starvation.

While over 150 countries now recognize a Palestinian state, the United States does not.

However, President Donald Trump made it clear on Thursday that there are boundaries, telling reporters in Washington that he would not allow Israel to annex the occupied West Bank.