Declan Kearney, Chair of Sinn Féin in Northern Ireland, has called on the European Union to impose sanctions on Israel and suspend arms exports, warning that silence and statements of concern have enabled ongoing war crimes against the Palestinian people.

In an online interview from Dublin, Kearney condemned the latest Israeli assault on Jenin, which included the targeting of a European diplomatic delegation. He said the attack reflects how Israel operates with full impunity and benefits from an international immunity that must be dismantled. He described the situation as a total collapse of red lines, where even foreign diplomats are not spared Israeli aggression.

Kearney demanded the immediate suspension of the EU-Israel partnership agreement, saying it is outrageous for a state committing daily violations of human rights to enjoy trade and diplomatic privileges. He dismissed Israeli claims that the delegation strayed from a secure route, stating that Israel has no sovereignty over Jenin or any part of the occupied West Bank, and therefore no authority to restrict international access.

According to The Guardian, the 20 May incident places Europe under real pressure to prove whether it is serious about holding Israel accountable, especially as the occupation intensifies its crimes against civilians in Gaza and the West Bank.

Speaking on the situation in Gaza, Kearney described the humanitarian conditions as catastrophic. He revealed that fewer than 90 aid trucks are being allowed into the besieged territory daily, compared to 600 before the war, calling it a humanitarian scandal. He added that hundreds of tonnes of aid funded by European countries remain blocked at the border while Palestinians continue to suffer from extreme shortages of food, medicine and fuel.

Kearney pointed to a recent Human Rights Watch report, which labelled the Israeli blockade a form of collective punishment. The organisation warned that continued aid restrictions endanger hundreds of thousands of lives and amount to a serious breach of international humanitarian law.

He also urged EU member states to introduce targeted sanctions against Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and to support ongoing legal efforts at the International Criminal Court. Kearney concluded that declarations of concern are meaningless unless matched by decisive action, insisting it is time to isolate a regime that commits war crimes with impunity.

His comments come as pressure mounts across Europe, with parliamentarians in Ireland, Norway and the Netherlands demanding an end to arms exports to Israel and the suspension of military cooperation.