The Deputy Lord Mayor of Dublin has described the Israeli offensive in Gaza as an "outrage" and called for a boycott of the Palestinian government to be lifted.
Cllr Aodhán Ó Riordáin was speaking a rally attended by hundreds in the capital today organised by the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign.
He told the protesters: "What is happening in Gaza over the past few weeks is a grave injustice and indeed an outrage."
He said Israel was using the kidnap of Israeli soldier Cpl Gilad Shalit as "an excuse to wreak terror on the Palestinian people.
"Israel's targeting of the civilian infrastructure of Gaza such as bridges and Gaza's main power station has meant that 860,000 Gazans are without running water or electricity, and Gaza faces a severe environmental and humanitarian crisis.
"Perhaps even more serious is Israel's kidnapping of half the democratically elected Palestinian government and a quarter of the parliament."
Cllr Ó Riordáin called on the Government to stop boycotting Palestine's Hamass government and called on the Israeli government end hostilities. He also called for the release of Cpl Shalit.
