City Councillors voted on Monday night to "express solidarity" with the area of Beit Lahia in Gaza, Palestine.

Councillor Niall Ó Brolcháin, who proposed the motion, said he had spoken to the Mayor of Beit Lahia, who was "in a house surrounded by three tanks with all the electricity gone" at the time.

He said that as Galway and Beit Lahia were both the third-largest cities in their countries, it would be a symbolic gesture of solidarity for the beleaguered area.

The motion was strongly supported by Cllr Catherine Connolly, who said Ireland had "a long tradition of reaching out and showing solidarity with the underdog," adding that the least Galway could do was show solidarity.

Cllr Billy Cameron also supported the motion, saying "expressions of solidarity and twinning should not be based on economics; they should be based on expressing solidarity with oppressed people, and the Palestinians are the most oppressed people in the world."

Cllr Daniel Callanan said the motion did not go far enough, as the people of the area needed "more than solidarity greetings or letters".

Galway already has strong connections with Palestine through the Galway-Palestine Solidarity Campaign, the Galway Alliance Against War and the Galway-Palestine Children's Fund.

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