Gaza call from Ireland... ''It is the most dangerous threat''

Speaking to RTE Radio 1 as he prepared to leave his post, which he has held since 2011, Higgins described the events in Gaza as a "tragic period" in world history.

Irish President Higgins stated that Israel's attacks on Gaza were "in the realm of unaccountability" and continued:

IT IS THE MOST DANGEROUS THREAT TO DEMOCRACY

"We are in a zone of unaccountability. We are in an extraordinary moment. Three members of the (Israeli) cabinet are clearly concerned with illegality but they are not concerned with international law. The other thing that is being proposed is to sever the link between the West Bank and Gaza. The zone of unaccountability is the most dangerous threat to democracy."

Higgins, pointing out that technology is also part of this process, said, "What stands behind the threat is the unaccountable role of technology. That is, the idea that you can escalate to an arms race without considering the fundamental differences between humanity. You cannot use the genocide in Gaza as a distraction from political issues that have been neglected for too long."

Higgins emphasized that the international community must take action to guarantee humanitarian access to Gaza, noting:

"I think what's really important is the reaffirmation of the importance of the United Nations General Assembly on a global scale. I was talking recently about a mechanism in the UN Charter called Chapter Seven. If a certain percentage of the General Assembly committee supports it, the Secretary-General (Guterres) can request the creation of a force to guarantee humanitarian access, even if the Security Council blocks it with a veto."

AA