Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It is a brutally violent offensive military campaign. Hundreds of schools in Gaza have been destroyed. Its health infrastructure has been obliterated. The hospitals that remain functioning are quickly running out of fuel to keep generators going. As food runs out, the people of Gaza face starvation. As clean water runs out, they face the prospect of cholera. As they run out of the basics needed to survive, they are trapped with no way out. Now, Israel is assembling hundreds of thousands of troops and tanks on the border in preparation for a ground invasion for more destruction, more slaughter and more Palestinian children dead.

Caithfidh Iosrael stop a chur lena mharú in Gaza. Ní mór do cheannairí Eorpacha sos cogaidh iomlán láithreach a éileamh. The people of Gaza stand at the threshold of annihilation. Nobody can say they did not see. Nobody can say they did not hear. Nobody can say they did not know. This is happening in full sight of the world. Calling for a humanitarian pause is not good enough. Pausing the slaughter to facilitate aid into Gaza only to allow the slaughter resume is a most perverse interpretation of humanitarianism and cannot be the international community's response. The only truly humanitarian action is a full and immediate ceasefire and then aid delivered to Gaza without the threat of attack.

Ireland can and must be to the fore in the context of the call in this regard, as agreed by the Dáil last week. At the meeting of the European Council on Thursday, will the Taoiseach tell European leaders that they must make the call for an unequivocal, full ceasefire? Will he tell them that they must demand that Israel stop its slaughter of the Palestinian people?

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