Ireland's leader to tell Biden 'how Irish people feel' about Gaza war

US President Joe Biden will host Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar on Friday at the White House's annual St. Patrick's Day reception.

Earlier this week, Varadkar said he would use the reception to tell Biden "how Irish people feel, and that is that we want to see a ceasefire immediately, for the killing to stop, the hostages to be released without condition, food and medicine to get into Gaza."

The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), a nationalist party in Northern Ireland, is boycotting the event over Washington's response to the war in Gaza. 

Ireland is one of Europe's strongest critics of Israeli policies towards Palestinians. Last month it announced over $21m in funding for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa). 

Biden has often spoken of his Irish heritage, and visited the country last year to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.