Taoiseach Leo Varadkar this evening met a group of Arab Ambassadors to Ireland, and with representatives of some Islamic countries, to discuss the situation in Gaza and Irish citizens in the territory including Emily Hand.
Mr Varadkar thanked the ambassadors for their countries' support in helping 51 Irish citizens and their dependents to leave Gaza.
He also asked the representatives to use any influence their countries have to secure the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages being held in Gaza by Hamas.
In particular, he raised the case of Emily Hand and asked for continued assistance to help secure her release.
Speaking after the meeting in Government Buildings with representatives of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation the Taoiseach said: "We discussed the dire humanitarian circumstances in Gaza, agreed on the urgent need for an immediate ceasefire, and a significant scaling up of humanitarian access and aid to civilians.
"The enormous number of civilian deaths is deeply shocking. International Humanitarian Law applies in all conflicts, in all circumstances, to State and non-State actors alike.
"Attacks on schools and healthcare facilities must cease.
"I particularly emphasised the need for us to work with our partners in the Middle East to deescalate the crisis and turn our efforts back to securing a sustainable peace based on the two-State solution," he said.
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation is the second largest inter-governmental organisation in the world after the UN, comprising 57 States in Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, South America and Europe.
Earlier, the Tánaiste had said he hoped that discussions around a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages held by Hamas would come to a conclusion very quickly.
Speaking this morning, Micheál Martin said that while the Government would like to see the release of all hostages, it was particularly focused on the case of Emily Hand.
He said the Government had spoken to all of those with influence in the region. Mr Martin said all children and elderly people should be prioritised for release.
The Tánaiste said that negotiations have been ongoing for ten days and "until one sees it, one has to be is guarded".
Mr Martin said that he was conscious that for the families involved there hadn't been the possibility of verification of all hostages because the International Committee of the Red Cross has not had access.
He said the negotiations had been substantive and he hoped that a number of hostages would emerge.
Additional reporting Joan O'Sullivan
