'I refuse to be silent': People Before Profit's Gerry Carroll reacts to binning of complaint against him over Palestine comments

The People Before Profit MLA had tweeted out “Victory to the Palestinian Resistance” followed by two closed fist symbols at 9.19am that morning – a tweet that remains up today.

At day at about 6.30am Israeli time (GMT +3) Hamas had launched “Operation Al Aqsa Flood”, pouring into Israel and killing about 1,400 people, largely civilians.

Dr Melissa McCullough, the Northern Ireland Assembly Commissioner for Standards, said Mr Carroll instead explained he had been talking about Palestinians damaging fences, not the massacre.

See full details here:

• Complaint about MLA's 'victory to the Palestinian resistance' post on day of Hamas massacre is rejected by Stormont standards body

More on the NI / RoI reaction to the Middle East carnage here:

• Nigel Dodds criticises motion from Sinn Fein that laments toll on civilian life and property from Israeli bombs

• Irish parliament is told by People Before Profit TD: 'Israel has no right to defend itself - only Palestinians have that right'

• WATCH: 'Send in your own SWAT teams - you are good at heavy-handed stuff!' Bad-tempered exchange on floor of Irish parliament over Sinn Fein 'posturing' on Israel and Palestine

• DUP calls the boycott Israel movement 'extremist' as efforts under way to pressure Dunnes Stores and SuperValu to pull all Israeli goods from shelves

“Like millions across the world, I refuse to be silent while Israel slaughters Palestinians with impunity,” said Mr Carroll today after the ruling.

“With over 11,000 people killed during Israel’s genocidal onslaught on Gaza, it is more important than ever that we speak out for Palestine.

“There has been a concerted effort to silence pro-Palestine voices, particularly by western governments who are complicit in Israel’s war crimes.

"Locally, they have been aided by a host of morally-bankrupt politicians who have nothing to say about the obscene violence meted out by the apartheid Israeli regime.

“The allegations levelled against me were false, vexatious, and primarily motivated by regressive political forces.

"People Before Profit has a long and proud record of standing against all forms of oppression and hatred in our society, including racism, religious persecution, and sectarianism.

“We will never be found wanting when it comes to fighting alongside the oppressed, and it must be said that the Palestinian people have had to fight oppression more than most.

“We would appeal for any political actor with a conscience to join us in calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, an end to apartheid, an end to the Israeli occupation.”