The Israeli ambassador's position is "now untenable", Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has said, adding that the ambassador should "no longer enjoy diplomatic status in Ireland while Israel refuses the imperative for ceasefires and as the suffering and death toll grow".
A Sinn Féin delegation led by Ms McDonald met with a number of ambassadors and diplomatic representatives today over the Israel-Hamas conflict.
They met representatives from Palestine, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, the UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Iraq.
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Speaking after the meeting, Ms McDonald said: "Israel's actions are not defence. They amount to collective punishment and are a breach of international law."
However, the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin accused Sinn Féin of having an "incoherent response" to the conflict.
"If you suspend diplomatic relations with a key state in the region, how does that advance getting people, getting Irish citizens out of Gaza," Mr Martin said.
Mr Martin said that maintaining diplomatic links with a country did not necessarily mean that you endorsed their policies.
He said he could not "reconcile" that statement from Sinn Féin, while the party is also calling for Ireland to play a diplomatic role in resolving the conflict.
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Mr Martin said that the response of Israel to the Hamas attacks on 7 October is not proportionate and he reiterated his call for a humanitarian ceasefire and the delivery of aid to the people of Gaza.
He said that Israel had a right to go after Hamas following the attacks on 7 October, however he added that in his view "proportionality and necessity is not being applied".
He referred to recent bombings in Gaza, including the Jabalya refugee camp, which he said was having a "wholly disproportionate impact on the civilians of Gaza".
"Too many civilians are losing their lives and too many children are losing their lives," he said.
Earlier, the Taoiseach said that what is happening in Gaza is not just self-defence on the part of Israel, but it "resembles something more approaching revenge".
Leo Varadkar said that it is very important that people "never forget where this [war] started", adding that this phase of the conflict started with a Hamas attack on Israel where 1,400 civilians were killed, including one person who was a dual Israeli-Irish citizen.
"I strongly believe, like any state, Israel has a right to defend itself, has the right to go after Hamas, so they can not do this again," Mr Varadkar said.
"But what I am seeing unfolding at the moment isn't just self-defence, it resembles something more approaching revenge and that's not where we should be and I don't think it is how Israel will guarantee its future freedom and security."
Speaking to reporters in South Korea, Mr Varadkar said that it is his belief that Israel listens to countries it considers to be friends and allies, such as the US, adding that he is "not sure they listen very closely to what we have to say, quite frankly".
"That is the reality of the situation but that is not going to stop us taking the position that we are in the UN and a very strong position in the EU," Mr Varadkar added.
"We will continue to increase our humanitarian aid for Palestine."
However, Mr Varadkar said it was not for him to determine if war crimes were committed in Gaza.
The Taoiseach added that given what has been said by Israel and Israeli authorities, "they wouldn't consider us [Ireland] to be close friends and allies the way they would consider the US, UK or Germany to be."
"It is a state we have relations with, but I don't think we are as close as we might have been or perhaps could be, because we do take a different position than most western countries on Palestine and what's happening at the moment."
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Ms McDonald said Mr Varadkar's comments were "correct" and a recognition of the "serious deterioration of the situation in Gaza".
Ms McDonald said: "The violence and humanitarian crisis in Palestine deepens by the day. The Taoiseach has correctly stated that the Israeli destruction of Gaza is not self-defence. I share his view that Israeli actions are offensive and constitute collective punishment."
Follow all the latest developments in the Israel-Hamas war here
Speaking later at Stormont, Ms McDonald said: "The Government in Dublin has acknowledged and said very clearly that the Israelis are acting outside of international law."
She said there needed to be accountability and the objective remained a full immediate ceasefire.
"Israel chooses not to heed that call, and therefore the position of the Israeli ambassador to Ireland is now untenable, while Israel persists with this deepening violence, while they ignore the international call for a ceasefire," Ms McDonald said.
She added that more than 9,000 people have died and thousands more injured.
Ms McDonald said: "The world is shouting stop. Israel must stop, Hamas must stop. Everybody needs to stop, but Israel, as the prime protagonist needs to hear the voice of the international community.
"It cannot stand that Israel breaks international law, breaks humanitarian law, inflicts this level of suffering on a civilian population, ignores the international call for a ceasefire and yet faces no consequence for that – so that is our message today."
Ms McDonald said a ceasefire was the priority and she wanted the "hell that is raining down on Gaza" to stop.
Israel's Embassy in Ireland said the country is "acting within international law" and "taking extraordinary measures to avoid civilian casualties".
"We have seen the Taoiseach and Tánaiste's strong condemnation against Hamas since the beginning of the war," an embassy statement added.
"Calls for Hamas to immediately release all 242 Israeli and international hostages held in Gaza must be heeded.
"It is important to remember that Hamas bears responsibility for creating this situation and for the ongoing and constant rockets being launched at Israel every day since the October 7 massacre in southern Israel."
The Palestinian border authority's list includes two people listed as Irish dependents.
He said that those who want to uphold international law "must press for an independent verification of the facts", and that lives lost should "not [be] reduced to competing press releases".
