Connolly Defends Hamas Remarks Amid Backlash

Presidential candidate Catherine Connolly has defended comments that Hamas is 'part of the fabric' of the Palestinian people, saying she has repeatedly condemned Hamas and arguing Palestinians should decide who governs them because Hamas were elected in Gaza's last vote. She also accused international observers of a double standard, called attention to what she described as a genocide in Gaza, and said both sides have committed war crimes. Taoiseach Micheál Martin sharply condemned her remarks, saying Hamas 'cannot be part of Gaza’s future' and accusing Connolly of failing to unequivocally condemn the October 7 attacks. Labour leader Alan Kelly urged her to retract the wording, and the Social Democrats condemned the October 7 attack while reiterating that Palestinian representation should be decided democratically amid the ongoing humanitarian crisis. The comments have prompted political distancing and intensified debate in Ireland over how public figures discuss Hamas and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.