"What is happening now in the West Bank is a tragedy foretold" - UN Special Rapporteur

"What is happening now to the people in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem is a tragedy foretold."

Speaking to The Hard Shoulder, UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese 'never thought that she would use the term genocide in connection with the Palestinians'.

Elsewhere, a sit down protest over Gaza brought traffic in Dublin to a standstill last night.

The pro-Palestinian demonstration began outside Government buildings on Kildare Street, before hundreds of activists moved across the city to block traffic on O'Connell Bridge during evening rush hour.

'Social Rights Ireland', a group which describes itself as ‘anti-imperialist, anti-capitalist and anti-Zionist’, documented the protest on social media.

“Free, free, free Palestine,” the crowd chanted.

“One, we are the people.

“Two, we won’t be silenced.

“Three, stop the bombing, now, now, now.”

Tensions in the Middle East were raised again this week as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that hostage talks would take place “under fire”, leading to doubts that another ceasefire might be reached.

Local officials estimate that hundreds of people died but an Israeli Government spokesperson said that half were terrorists.

“The terrorist-per-civilian rate… is the lowest of any war in the last 100-years,” Fleur Hassan-Nahoum told Newstalk Breakfast.

“Including the one that the Allies - the UK, the US did in order to get rid of ISIS - which was one-to-nine.”

She added that Hamas bears ultimate responsibility for the deaths of civilians following their decision to attack Israel on October 7th.

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