Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I agree with the Deputy that the death toll and the horrors happening in Gaza are quite shocking. The death toll is now in excess of 34,000. Over 1.9 million people have been displaced and, of course, thousands of people have been badly injured as a result. On my recent visit to Rafah, UN representatives spoke about the degree of psychosocial trauma that the entire population, particularly children, have been subjected to. There are 17,000 unaccompanied minors in Gaza right now, 17,000 children without parents and so forth. They are going through enormous trauma and are being helped by other people who are also going through enormous trauma. There are 1.5 million people sheltering in Rafah and any operation there would be catastrophic.

When I visited Rafah, we saw a CT scanner which had been donated being denied access. A lot of other hospital equipment is being denied access by the Israeli authorities allegedly on the grounds of dual use. A green sleeping bag was denied access because it could be used as camouflage. A children's education pack was denied because it includes scissors. Croissants with chocolate and orange juice were considered luxury items. It is unbelievable what is being denied to Palestinian people within Gaza by the Israeli authorities given the enormity of the starvation and hunger that people are experiencing.

I am clear that the people of Gaza are being collectively punished. There is no other explanation for what is going on. Israel has obligations to facilitate full, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access into and throughout the Gaza strip, in particular by road. Road is the most effective way of getting sufficient aid in. We have been clear that all restrictions on the work of UNRWA and other humanitarian groups must be immediately lifted.

The former Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, and the Spanish Prime Minister wrote to the European Commission about the EU-Israel association agreement. It was discussed and will be discussed again at the Foreign Affairs Council but we want the Commission to do a formal review. We have already engaged with the Commission on this. If, ultimately, there are to be sanctions at EU level or if the essential element clauses of the agreement which involve human rights are invoked, in all likelihood it would need unanimity at Council level if the Commission were to recommend such action. We are under no illusion, given the composition of the European Union and the different perspectives of different EU member states on this question, that this is a challenging road. Nonetheless, we were correct in taking the first step and we will continue to pursue it.

See this speech in context