Trócaire has called on the public to continue to remember the besieged people of Gaza following the release of Nobel peace-prize winner Mairead Corrigan from an Israeli jail earlier this week.
Ms. Corrigan was detained on June 30 when the ship she was on was boarded by heavily-armed Israeli forces while it was trying to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. The Israelis took the ship and its passengers and crew to Ashdod and those on board were handed over to immigration officials.
Eithne McNulty, Trócaire's regional manager in N. Ireland, said, 'We welcome Mairead's release. This incident has highlighted the plight of the people of Gaza and the fact that humanitarian aid is almost impossible to get into the territory. The siege on Gaza has now been in place for two years and should be lifted immediately. The whole of the population of Gaza is being affected, over 1.5 million people, but it is the elderly, the sick, women and children who are suffering most.'
'We call for free and uninhibited access for all humanitarian assistance in accordance with international agreements and in accordance with universally recognised international human rights. We also call on both the Israelis and Palestinians to explore all peaceful ways forward to ensure a better future for the people of Gaza,' Eithne McNulty concluded.
Trócaire has worked with partners in both Gaza and Israel since 2002.