Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris on Monday criticized Israel's strikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, telling CNN's Christiane Amanpour that it is "an extraordinarily dangerous situation and effectively the opening of a catastrophic second front."
"We're not seeing a targeted response to terrorism here. What we're actually seeing is at least 21 children now confirmed dead, at least 1,000 injured," Harris charged.
"The pattern of flouting international law and disregard for rules of engagement is yet again being completely and utterly disregarded," he added.
Ireland has been a vocal critic of Israel’s conduct in the war in Gaza. In April, Harris failed to mention the hostages being held by Hamas during his first speech after being elected leader, resulting in criticism from Israel’s Foreign Ministry.
In a previous interview with Amanpour, Harris said Israel’s sense of reason has been "replaced by revenge"
Harris’ predecessor, Leo Varadkar, launched a tirade against Israel in February, accusing the country of becoming "blinded by rage" over plans to launch a ground offensive on the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
Ireland has also been one of the countries pushing for recognition of a Palestinian state, a move encouraged by the Palestinian Authority as a means of bypassing direct talks with Israel. In May, Spain, Norway and Ireland formally recognized a Palestinian state.