Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar has warned the Israeli government that international solidarity with the Jewish state in the wake of Hamas attacks could “evaporate” if the Israeli response to the Gaza Strip is disproportionate.

“Ireland’s position is very clear on this – Israel is a democratic country, it is a sovereign state, it is an internationally recognized state, it has a right to exist,” the Irish prime minister stressed.

“Unfortunately, it is surrounded by enemies who want to wipe it off the face of the earth and that is why it must be able to defend itself (…) But it must do so in a proportional way,” he added.

“And we are saying very clearly to the Israeli government, that while there is currently strong solidarity from the US, from European countries to Israel, that solidarity can dissipate, and I believe it will dissipate, if Israel’s response to Gaza is disproportionate , particularly if it targets civilians,” Varadkar concluded.