Palestinians “need the bombs to stop,” Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said as he made an impassioned plea for a ceasefire in Gaza, speaking during a St Patrick’s Day reception at the White House, AFP reports.

US President Joe Biden has been hosting Varadkar in Washington for an annual visit celebrating the close ties between the United States and Ireland, as 10 percent of Americans claim ancestral roots there.

“The people of Gaza desperately need food, medicine and shelter, and most especially they need the bombs to stop,” Varadkar said as Biden, who has come under pressure both internationally and at home over his support for ally Israel, looked on.

“The aspirations of the Palestinian people to have a homeland and a fully fledged state in the land of their forefathers is equal to that of Israel’s,” he added.

Varadkar has been one of Europe’s most critical leaders over Israel’s campaign in Gaza.