SIPTU condemns Gaza hospital strike and supports President Higgins call for urgent UN action

SIPTU has condemned the Israeli airstrikes on Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza on Monday which killed at least 20 people, including five journalists and several rescue workers who were responding to the initial blast.

The Union has described the attack as an atrocity that violates international humanitarian law and represents a direct assault on media workers and the principle of press freedom.

SIPTU Services Divisional Organiser, Adrian Kane, said: “Journalists and medical personnel must never be targeted in conflict.

“The killing of reporters and rescue workers at a hospital, struck first and then hit again as people rushed to save lives, is an outrage which the international community cannot ignore.

“The deliberate or reckless targeting of hospitals is a war crime.

“The repeated killing of journalists in Gaza is not only a tragedy for their families and colleagues but also an attack on all media workers and the right of the public to know the truth.

“SIPTU fully supports the call made by President Michael D. Higgins for the United Nations General Assembly to act decisively where the Security Council has failed.

“A UN-mandated force must be established to guarantee humanitarian access and protect civilians.

“This demand cannot be delayed any longer. Governments in Ireland, across Europe and around the world must step up diplomatic and economic pressure to ensure accountability and end the cycle of impunity.”

He added: “In these circumstances it is clearly a necessity that the Irish Central Bank immediately cease the sale of Israeli bonds. It is unacceptable that Irish institutions continue to facilitate financial flows to a state engaged in repeated and documented breaches of international humanitarian law. Urgent international action is needed to prevent further atrocities.”

SIPTU notes that more than 240 media workers have been killed in Gaza since October 2023, making this conflict the deadliest in history for those reporting on it.

The Union has pledged its solidarity with journalists, healthcare staff and all victims of the conflict.