Republic of Ireland Taoiseach Micheál Martin slams Irish presidential candidate Catherine Connolly over her claim that Hamas could lead a Palestinian state

Ms Connolly has described Hamas - classed as a terrorist group by the EU, Canada, US and UK as "part of the fabric of the Palestinian people".

She said it is "not up to" Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to decide that it can have no role in a future Palestinian state.

But Taoiseach Micheál Martin said Connolly's comments appeared to "justify" Hamas' actions on 7 October 2023.

The Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 saw 1,200 people killed and 250 taken hostage. Israel's subsequent effort to destroy Hamas has resulted in 65,000 deaths in Gaza, based on Hamas figures.

Asked on BBC Ulster's Talkback programme if she agreed with Prime Minister Keir Starmer's view that Hamas can have no role in the future politics of a Palestinian state, Ms Connolly replied: "I don't think it's up to Keir Starmer to make that statement at all. I think they could have a role.

"I come from Ireland, which has a history of colonization, and I would be very wary of telling a sovereign people how to run their country. The Palestinians must decide in a democratic way who they want to lead their country."

Asked if Hamas could still have a role after October 7, she said that she is on record condemning the attack but that it was important to look back on history and "the many atrocities" committed by Israel.

Asked if October 7 was a form of genocide, she said she had "absolutely condemned" the attack but added: "I would not use the word genocide".

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said 7 October was "a heinous atrocity of young music followers going to a concert, and they were mowed down".

"Women were raped, and there was terrible sexual violence," the BBC reported.

Martin added: "Catherine Connolly has said it was wrong, but then moved quickly to qualify it by saying oh, everything didn't start on 7 October.

"As if that somehow justified what Hamas did."

The taoiseach said Hamas has "broken every humanitarian law, and cannot be part of Gaza's future".

"There should be unequivocal condemnation of Hamas, if we're trying to chart a future for a Palestinian state, with guarantees for Israel into the future. Hamas is not that option.

"Because Hamas has consistently refused to recognize an Israeli state, and are vowed and committed to the elimination of an Israeli state."

DUP leader Gavin Robinson said Ms Connolly’s comments were “outrageous”.

He said that Hamas is “a terrorist organization which slaughtered innocent civilians” on October 7 and that it “continues to abuse their own people, using their own people as human shields, hiding behind them and seeing them perish”.

He told BBC Talkback that “somebody who's looking to take up the highest office in their land should be thoroughly ashamed of herself if she's associating herself with people who've been involved with and prepared to conduct such mass terrorism”.

Ms Connolly has secured the support of Sinn Fein, Labour, the Social Democrats, the Greens and People Before Profit in the campaign.