 This is Zoe Alexandra with People's Dispatch. At the time of recording this, Israel is in the midst of launching perhaps the most severe bombardment on Gaza since October 7, and just cut all landline, cellular, and internet communications across the Gaza Strip. International aid organizations and media outlets have reported that they have completely lost contact with colleagues on the ground with only satellite communications functioning at the moment. Many are warning that this could be the most serious and deadly attack on Palestinians in recent history. These actions have been met with sharp condemnation from people across the world with almost daily protests and mobilizations occurring in towns and cities across the world over the last several weeks. Despite this global outcry, political leaders from North America and the EU have stood firm in expressing full support to Israel and thwarting genuine attempts at stopping the violence and calling for a ceasefire. However, this is not without exception. The progressive Irish party Sinn Féin and its members and leaders have stood out from other parties and politicians in the European Union in their support of the Palestinian struggle, their strong condemnation of Israel's attacks on Palestine, and the participation of even leaders from the party in street actions and solidarity with Palestine. And for this discussion, we're very lucky to be joined by Chris Hazard, who is an MP for South Down and a member of the Sinn Féin party. Chris, thank you so much for joining us. Thank you, Zoe. Good to be here. Great. So let's get right into it. As we're speaking, we know that developments are happening on the ground in Gaza. The biggest of them being the fact that communications were just cut and it is rumored and it is being confirmed, again, as we're recording that a land invasion is in the process of taking place. What are your thoughts on this escalation and how did we get here? Well, I think we've all been fair in this moment over the last couple of weeks, that the bombardment was only the beginning of this ratchet chapter and the collapse and moral attitudes to all of this. You see, in recent days and weeks, Israel has targeted the basic civilian infrastructure of Gaza, the hospitals, the schools, the mosques, the churches, the food and supply lines. Now the Seidnin have cut and targeted the communication systems, a complete blackout, and then commenced what has been described as the most intense bombardment, yet I've seen some local observers have described that as a belt of fire has enveloped the Gaza Strip. I've also seen that Israeli officials were talking, again, up warnings about the Ashifa hospital, so you have to fear that that will be another hospital and across her again this evening. So just another, again, chapter of the most egregious war crimes. I've said in recent days that certainly for those of us of our generation, these are the most egregious war crimes, certainly in our living memory, if not longer. We're witnessing ethnic cleansing and genocide every day on our TV screens. I think there's a growing anger with the complicity and the collusion of the Western powers and all of this and that Gaza has been left to its own devices to face what is ultimately human and environmental annihilation. Yeah, definitely. I think that's exactly right. And you know, Sinn Féin has been one of the few parties in the global north and in Europe that has actually taken, some would say as a principled stance on the situation condemning the aggression from Israel condemning the attacks on Palestinians. What has been the response from other EU countries and other EU parties on the position of Sinn Féin what is as they say the political cost of standing with Palestine? And why in the midst of all this do you think the EU has really locked down on its stance in supporting Israel and condemning everything that Palestinians have done in this past couple of weeks? Well, you're right. And we led the calls in the Irish parliament, the Dahl, for a ceasefire. The Dahl was one of the first parliaments in the world actually to unanimously call for a ceasefire. That's the Irish parliament in Dublin. There's no real surprise in this actually. In 2021, the Dahl was also the first parliament. Ireland became the first EU state to unanimously condemn Israel's de facto annexation of Palestinian land. So there is unanimous agreement right across the political spectrum in Ireland that there must be a ceasefire, that Israel must be held to account and that the Western powers have to intervene to ensure that that ceasefire happens. Again, this is built upon assured legacy of colonialism, that sense of solidarity runs very deep. And it means the wider Irish population, the Irish nation and their diaspora understands that the root to peace in Palestine is built on the need for Israel to end the occupation and their apartheid that's been imposed on Palestinians. So in recent weeks, for example, not only has our parliament demanded a ceasefire with one voice, but the Irish Taoiseach, the Irish Prime Minister and the Irish President have both also criticized the EU Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, making it clear that she does not speak for Ireland. You'll remember your viewers will remember she was heavily criticized for her stance and visiting Israel at a time when they were committing these war crimes. And our president, Michael D Higgins, put it very well that she had reduced international law to tatters. So in response to that, the Irish government have increased humanitarian aid to Palestine. So it's almost doubled it now, 13 million euros on top of the annual 10 million euros that goes to Palestine. So we've had every town and village has seen street demonstrations, much like we're seeing around the rest of the world. People are coming out. And there's been a long standing sense of solidarity, you know, not just an official Ireland and with the political parties, but more generally, you know, we have significant, you know, organized solidarity organizations, such as the Irish Palestine Solidarity Campaign that for many years has been to the fore and organizing support and fundraising events for Palestine. We also have Irish human rights organizations based in Palestine. And as I say, much of that goes back to a long standing shared experience of colonialism. But in the more recent context, you know, from the 1960s, there was a very strong anti-colonial solidarity between Ireland, South Africa and Palestine. You know, the Irish parliament was one of the first partners in the world again to recognize the PLO as the legitimate voice of the Palestinians. So, certainly for ourselves as a political party, not just because we are the main vehicle for Irish reunification coming out of an anti-colonial struggle, but our friends and neighbors and brothers and sisters outside of our own party and across the wider Irish society are very, very proud to stand with Palestine. And they're actually proud of our political leaders for this, these last few weeks, standing up with the one voice to demand a ceasefire and to demand peace for Palestine. Yeah, and I think the Irish people are joined by millions across the globe who have been on the streets with these demands, calling for an end to the violence against the Palestinian people. For you, you've been active in the Palestinian solidarity movement, international solidarity movement for a while. What do you see is different about this moment? Would you say there's an increase in support? What does this say to you? Are you hopeful about this moment? Yeah, I think there actually is. I've seen somebody comment recently that all has changed and there certainly feels to be a rising anger, not just in the global south, but I think right across. You'll have seen yourself the scenes in places like Texas and New York and Washington. There's a real sense of anger and I think much of that comes from an anger with political leaders who are complicit in all of this, refusing to stand up for peace and to call for a ceasefire. When people see the barbaric scenes coming from Gaza, they rightfully are angered and they want political leaders to stand up for peace. And I think there's been a real sense of frustration that why have political leaders, why has the EU failed, why has Britain and the American administrations, why have they failed to stand up for peace in this? And I think it throws back more recent memories, obviously, of the devastation caused in Iraq and Afghanistan, the sense of the movement in America now that is growing. It's reminiscent that neither of us were around in those days, which it seems to be reminiscent of the anti-Vietnam War feeling that was growing across the American nation. And I think there's a sense that we're at a tipping point now for Palestine. I've noticed local businesses, even some local doctors and practitioners with a poster in the window for Palestine. That didn't happen in recent times, but it's happening now. I think the real sense of desperation is seeping through our televisions each night. Social media has brought it much more vividly into all of our homes as well. And I think people are genuinely shocked at the extent to which Israel has been enabled to be able to commit, as I say, some of the most egregious war crimes in our time. Yeah, definitely. And I think in coming days, this is going to be continuing to unfold, especially about what's happening right now. But I guess as a final comment, how do you see this struggle moving forward for Palestine? Is this going to spread into larger struggles against imperialism? What do you see as the way forward in the next couple of weeks? Yeah, well, first and foremost, I suppose there's, I think there's a sense of trepidation and fear. I sense people are terrified tonight, looking in social media, the comments already that, you know, haven't bombarded Gaza from the skies for many days now, that the armed forces will begin in the ground in the darkness of night. Communications have been cut. So the war crimes are going to increase exponentially. The suffering and the pain and the heartache, you know, in the dead of night, I think we're going to be in for some very gruesome scenes. It's not also going to be straightforward, I don't think, for the Israeli forces. I think they're going to be dragged down into the mar in Gaza. God only knows where we go for this. I think we have to hope that the Western political establishment's waking to the crimes being committed and understand that put pressure on Israel now to cease. Because any notion that Israel is somehow defending itself, you know, has been completely eviscerated by their actions in recent days. I have no doubt that will be tenfold whenever we finally see the scenes from Gaza over the next few days. So we have to hope for negotiated peace out of all of this. But the big fear, of course, is that they've went far too far, that the region itself is not going to be enveloped in a conflict. You know, you see the warships beginning to move into the Eastern Mediterranean. And that's the big fear in all of this, that this spails over not just Lebanon and Syria, but then the other regional powers become involved in all of this. And, you know, where that ends up then is horrifying to even think about. Definitely. I think we're definitely in trying times that are very difficult to predict, difficult to say what we'll follow. But I thank you so much for your time and will be continuing to follow the developments, especially how the EU powers will respond, how officials in the US are going to respond to this, and how the people on the streets who have been standing with Palestine for these weeks, how that's going to continue to develop. Absolutely. And I think there is now a new generation that's willing to stand up for Palestine. And, you know, no doubt that's going to be vitally important in the time ahead.