The Taoiseach says he has stressed Ireland's concerns about the war in the Middle East during his meeting with the US president.
Simon Harris met the US leader in the Oval Office for just under an hour on Wednesday night during which Ukraine, Northern Ireland, undocumented Irish people in the US , and the conflict in the Middle East were discussed.
President Biden left the Taoiseach “in no doubt” as to the seriousness of a conversation he has had with Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu about a ceasefire in the Middle East.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Mr Harris said: “It is for President Biden to speak to that and his administration, but he left me in no doubt that this was a conversation of substance and of depth in terms of actions that Israel needs to take, in terms of humanitarian aid, in terms of bringing about a ceasefire."
Mr Harris added: “My understanding from the conversation I've had with the president is that he has, he has made it very clear to the Prime Minister of Israel, in no uncertain terms, the concerns of the United States of America in terms of the direction that Israel has continued to go on, in terms of civilian impact, in terms of lack of aid.
“I wasn't on the call, and it's not for I'm not privy to one of the details of the call, but I am, I am clear that the President told me very clearly that he had a very substantial conversation with the Prime Minister of Israel today.
"I would have made the point to President Biden that in addition to needing to see a ceasefire and an end to the conflict, we also have a major humanitarian crisis where countries like Ireland wants to help and we can't get the aid in.”
Mr Harris said that he had raised the plight of Palestinians with the US leader, stating: “We know what it is like in Ireland to not feel seen by the world, we know what it is like to have our national identity hijacked by a terrorist organisation because Palestine, of course, is not Hamas. Hamas is a despicable terrorist organisation.”
