Sinn Fein man who was part of IRA bombing campaign decries Israeli bombing of Gaza and the deaths of women and children

The West Belfast MLA was speaking at a large rally at Belfast City Hall on Sunday to oppose Israeli strikes on Palestinian territory.

A video of some of his remarks was posted online in which he pointed to “the killing of over 50 Palestinians in the West Bank in the last week by the Israeli occupation forces – and not a word in the media about it”.

He added: “It is that same mindset that drives the colonisation of Palestinian land. It’s the same mindset that believes Israel has the right to starve 2.3 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and to stop them getting water fuel and medical supplies.

"And of course it is that mindset that makes them think it’s okay to order the evacuation of hospitals and to kill men, women, and children who cannot escape from their bombardment.”

Mr Sheehan also issued a tweet, saying: “I was honoured to speak at the rally in Belfast today in support of the Palestinian people who are under attack.

“You have not been forgotten. You have not been abandoned. You are not alone. We stand with you. We stand with Palestine.”

Mr Sheehan is a former IRA member.

In his own words in An Phoblacht in 2013, Mr Sheehan said: “I spent over 18 years in prison. I was first imprisoned in 1978 for causing an explosion in Belfast and was sentenced to 15 years in jail.

"I was released in 1987 and immediately went back on active service with the IRA.

"Unfortunately for me, I was captured again in 1989 and sentenced to 24 years… I had always been proud of being a Volunteer in Óglaigh na hÉireann and proud to have taken up arms against the British occupation.”

A number of media sources have reported that the explosion which saw him caught had targeted a “cash-and-carry” (also known as a wholesaler), though they do not name the business.

The Guardian newspaper says no-one was hurt in that attack.

In 1978, the Province suffered innumerable IRA bomb attacks as the group declared it was preparing for a “long war”.

To give a small flavour of how prolific the attacks were, On November 15 that year NIO minister John Concannon summarised just a single day’s activity in the House of Commons: “In a series of bomb attacks against commercial premises in Northern Ireland yesterday, a total of six car bombs and nine other devices exploded; eight devices were defused.

"Car bombs exploded in Omagh, Dungannon, Cookstown, Enniskillen and Newry.

"In Londonderry and Castlederg incendiary devices caused considerable damage.

"In Strabane a car bomb was successfully defused by the security forces, while in Belfast a blast incendiary caused some damage. No one was seriously hurt.”

According to the CAIN web database, some 138 of the IRA’s 1,700-plus victims were female, and 47 were children under 16.

Joining Mr Sheehan at the Belfast rally was Sinn Fein North Belfast MLA Gerry Kelly, also a former bomber.

He said: “I joined, thousands in Belfast to show solidarity with the people of Gaza facing death and destruction on a massive scale.

"If governments will not speak out against the Israeli oppression of millions of Palestinians ordinary people will speak for them. Stop the invasion of Gaza.”