A phrase used by Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar in hailing yesterday’s release from Hamas of 9-year-old Israeli-Irish Emily Hunt on the second day of the release of hostages by Hamas, it provoked the strong reaction of the Israeli government and the summoning of the Irish ambassador to Israel.

Nine-year-old Emily Hunt was among a group of 17 hostages freed yesterday after 50 days of captivity in the Gaza Strip. The girl was initially thought to have been killed by Hamas’ attack on Kibbutz Beeri, during the Islamist group’s deadly raids on October 7.

Emily was later revealed to be among the 240 hostages taken that day to the Gaza Strip.

Reacting to the girl’s release, Mr Varadkar yesterday spoke of “a day of immense joy and relief”, saying that “an innocent child who had been lost, has now been found”.

The last phrase provoked a strong reaction from ministers and officials of the Israeli government.

Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen lashed out at the Irish Prime Minister today and in a X post to Varadkar he said: “You seem to have lost your moral compass and need to get in touch with reality!”

“Emily Hunt was not ‘missing,’ she was kidnapped by a terrorist organization worse than the Islamic State that murdered her stepmother,” Cohen added, continuing: “Emily and more than 30 other Israeli children were taken hostage by Hamas and you are trying to legitimize and give normalcy to terror. Same on you!”.

At the same time, he said that he had instructed the ministry’s staff to summon the Irish ambassador to Israel to reprimand him.

With information from Al Jazzera, Times of Israel