Varadkar 'satisfied' with EU agreement

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said he is "satisfied" with last night's agreement by EU leaders calling for humanitarian corridors and "pauses" in military action by Israel and Hamas.

The language was agreed after five hours of discussion but the text fell short of calling for a ceasefire due to opposition from Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the second day of the EU summit, the Taoiseach said: "I'm satisfied with the language.

"It was always going to be difficult to come to a compromise language that 27 countries with very different perspectives could sign up to."

The Taoiseach said he was concerned about the situation escalating into a wider conflict involving the West Bank, Hezbollah, Lebanon, Iran and others.

Fighting terrorism was "a common European cause," he said.

He told reporters: "We support Israel's right to defend itself, but no country can violate international humanitarian law. We're being very clear on that.

"And I think we'll have to be clearer on that in the weeks and months ahead."