Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said some of the comments made by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Israel and Gaza have "lacked balance", adding that he has "said that to her".
His comments follow criticism by President Michael D Higgins of Ms von der Leyen after she did not include a call for Israel's retaliation to conform with international law.
In the Dáil today, Mr Varadkar said Ireland condemned without reservation the attacks by Hamas on Israel. But he said it was "not acceptable for Israel to violate international law".
He said: "Nobody wants to see this spread."
He was responding to Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns who said Ms von der Leyen's comments were a "serious over-reach of her authority."
"This is not a war, it is genocide and ethnic cleansing", Ms Cairns said.
She said 6,000 bombs had been dropped on an area half the size of Co Louth.
Earlier, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald called on the Government to push for a ceasefire in Gaza.
She said she "absolutely condemned" the Hamas attack and the taking of hostages, and also asked the Government to condemn Israel's actions in Gaza saying it was not "defence".
She described the words of Ms von der Leyen as "reckless, inflammatory, and dangerous".
Responding, the Taoiseach again condemned the Hamas attack and called for the release of all hostages without preconditions.
He said that Israel had the right to defend itself but there should not be collective punishment of the people of Gaza.
He said there must be a de-escalation to prevent the conflict spreading, adding that there must also be a "humanitarian pause" along with the opening of humanitarian corridors.
Mr Varadkar said he believed it was not acceptable that Israel called on people living in the north of Gaza to move south.
Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin has condemned the call by the Israeli military for civilians to leave northern Gaza as "unrealistic, unworkable and deeply dangerous".
Mr Martin told the Foreign Affairs Committee that there is an "urgent need for humanitarian corridors" for Palestinians.
"There is no doubt of the brutal criminality of Hamas," he said, "but a distinction must absolutely be made between Hamas and Palestinian civilians".
Describing the current crisis as "a moment of grave risk" and "a critical juncture", Mr Martin warned of the danger of the most extreme voices - in Israel, Palestine and internationally - dominating events.
"This is an incredibly dark period - it will get darker," he said, and urged that everything be done to ensure that those that emerge stronger "are the moderates, not the extremists".
Earlier, Mr Martin said it was "a real priority" to get the Rafah crossing into Egypt opened and Irish citizens out of Gaza.
He said he is being updated on the situation in the conflict zone by the head of UNRWA, who has described it as "dire" with a shortage of basic needs such as water and food.
He said he also spoke to the Iranian Foreign Minister last night and he gave him Ireland's perspective in terms of the "absolute necessity" that those who may have influence in the region work towards de-escalating the situation and avoid the conflict extending to other areas.
"In other words, Lebanon and the West Bank. We don't want to see an escalation of this in any shape or form."
Mr Martin added that he will be speaking with other representatives across the region today and reiterated the focus is getting a humanitarian corridor open at the Rafah crossing.
"To enable both humanitarian supplies to get in but also to facilitate Irish citizens and others, all nationalities, to come out," he added.
Mr Martin said they are liaising with relevant authorities in the region and maintaining contact with Irish citizens in Gaza.
There are around 40 Irish citizens in Gaza, according to Mr Varadkar.
He said that arrangements are being made to evacuate them, and that he spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron on how the two nations may cooperate on an effort to get them out.
The Department of Foreign Affairs yesterday said it is in "constant contact with a small number of citizens in Gaza and with all relevant authorities in respect of their cases" and described the situation as "complex and extremely fluid".
Iran warns of conflict spreading across Middle East
The Tánaiste said that the Iranian Foreign Minister has warned him of the danger of the conflict between Israel and Hamas spreading across the Middle East.
Micheál Martin said that he "had a lengthy conversation" with Hossein Amir-Abdollahian yesterday evening who said "that they have no influence over any of these regional actors, be it Hamas, be it Hezbollah".
But Mr Amir-Abdollahian had "indicated" that "from his discussions with these regional actors that his sense was that there could be significant strengthening of the conflict, widening of the conflict regionally".
Mr Martin also told the Foreign Affairs Committee that "the fear of attack dominates the political narrative" in Israel, which sees politics through a prism of "security, security, terror, terror".
He noted that in the past some commentators had accused Israel of overstating concerns about its security.
Micheál Martin also said that Hamas will use its deep embedding in Palestinian society to its advantage.
In response to a demand that he call for a ceasefire, Mr Martin said that it was critical to ask, "Do you believe that Israel have a right to go after Hamas?"
Ireland can be most effective in pushing for humanitarian supplies to get into Gaza, and also "to get our citizens out through the Rafah crossing", he said.
He noted that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen "spoke about the centrality of international law".
He was responding to Sinn Féin TD Matt Carthy who said that "the actions of Ms von der Leyen have not been consistent" with the principles of the UN Charter and international law, as is required of the EU.
She has played "a very regretful and disappointing role", Deputy Carthy said.
