Overview

• Speaking on RTÉ, the Irish presidential candidate said both Israel and Hamas committed war crimes and should be held to account.
• She argued Palestinians must decide their own leadership, noting Hamas won the last Palestinian elections and is part of Palestinian civil society.
• She said she absolutely condemned the October 7, 2023 attack but would not call it genocide, while describing ongoing Palestinian suffering as genocide that must be stopped.
• Connolly accepted Hamas’s terrorist designation but said Israel is acting as a terrorist state, adding that eventual talks and disarmament are necessary for peace.
• Minister of State Thomas Byrne criticized her comments, saying no presidential aspirant should show any tolerance for Hamas and calling the group murderers and rapists.