Mayo council motion condemns onslaught in Gaza and urges immediate ceasfire
THE Mayo branch of the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) has welcomed the unanimous, cross-party support at Monday's Mayo County Council meeting to pass a motion condemning Israel's relentless onslaught and bombardment on the civilian population in Gaza, which has cost tens of thousands of lives.
The motion denounced the attacks on hospitals and ambulances which directly flout international law and are protected by Articles 17 and 18 of the Geneva Convention. It also condemned Israel's use of deliberate starvation of the population of Gaza and the obstruction of aid, including medical supplies, going into the Gaza Strip.
The motion called for an immediate ceasefire and categorically stated the council's opposition to crimes against humanity being committed in Palestine.
An amendment proposed at the meeting was also unanimously agreed condemning the Hamas attack of October 2023.
Said Anne DeBurca, chair of Mayo IPSC: “We would like to sincerely thank Councillor Gerry Murray for submitting the motion and Councillor Harry Barrett for seconding it. We'd also like to thank all of the councillors for their support in passing this motion.
“On the day we witness images of displaced people being burned alive in tents outside a hospital in Gaza, it is fitting that Mayo County Council strongly condemns, outright, such actions.
“Given the catastrophic situation in the Occupied Territories of Palestine, and now Lebanon, which is under increasing violent invasion by Israel, it is incumbent on us all to do what we can to bring a halt to this genocide. We are now witnessing our own UN troops being threatened by Israel.”
She continued: “While we are happy to see this motion pass through Mayo County Council, we see other local councils such as Cavan and Galway City, who only this week passed emergency motions demanding the Irish Government to urgently enact the Occupied Territories Bill to cut all Irish trade ties with Israeli goods and services produced in illegal settlements. Many more councils have gone down this route and we believe that given the gravity of the situation in Gaza and now Lebanon, all local councils should be demanding our government take more action while acting in accordance with the International Court of Justice's ruling which asks all states to reassess trade links with Israel.”
Mayo IPSC is calling on Mayo County Council to fully support the growing call to demand the Irish Government enact the Occupied Territories Bill.