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

I am sharing time with Deputy Carthy.

This European Council meeting is of grave importance. It is a moment of reckoning for European leaders as the people of Gaza struggle to survive Israel's relentless bombardment. Thousands of Palestinians have been slaughtered and injured, more than a million have been displaced, with their homes, hospitals, schools and vital infrastructure have been decimated. Under siege by one of the world's most powerful military forces, an impoverished refugee population is running out of water, medicine, fuel and power, and it is running out of time. This is not a justifiable response to the horrific attacks by Hamas on Israeli civilians, which have been condemned.

Time and again, international leaders say Israel has the right to defend itself but must do so within the boundaries of international law. Let us be clear: carpet bombing civilian men, women and children who are trapped with nowhere to shelter and no way out is not a defence. Let us also be clear that Israel is not operating within the boundaries of international law. In fact, it repeatedly and brazenly breaks international law in full sight of the world. Israel does so openly, loudly and with confidence, and by refusing to shout "stop", the international community has given it a licence to massacre the people of Gaza under the perverse pretext of defence.

How can deliberately destroying hospitals be considered defence? Hospitals in Gaza are running out of the power they need to function. They are struggling to keep intensive care units going. In Gaza, incubators are being shared by three and four babies at a time. Without electricity, the heat and oxygen needed for these incubators will soon run out. This is unconscionable. It is the heartbreaking human reality of this onslaught.

Israel is amassing troops and tanks on the border with Gaza in preparation for a ground invasion. The world knows such an invasion would mean further destruction and slaughter and would risk spreading violence to the wider region. As Israel prepares for this escalation - for brutal assault - it seems to have turned its back on diplomacy. Instead of engaging in real dialogue, its Government and international representatives focus on shutting down any criticism of its bombardment and flagrant breaches of international law. We saw this in Ireland when President Higgins spoke out against Israel's onslaught and for the vindication of Palestinian human rights and the primacy of international law. Yesterday, it was the turn of UN Secretary General António Guterres for naming Israel's violation of international law and its decades of occupation, annexation and apartheid.

Gaza cannot become the graveyard of international law. Together we must stand for international co-operation in finding a way forward, and a resolution can only be found through dialogue, diplomacy and politics. This is the vision that must rise above the clamour and hawkish din. The Taoiseach correctly described Israel's bombardment of Gaza as collective punishment. He stated that Israel is acting against international law. Yesterday, he said that Ireland will use its influence. We have the potential to make a difference.

We must, therefore, speak very clearly and unambiguously to our international partners. We must say the only position that can transform this awful situation is ceasefire. A humanitarian pause is not going to save the people of Gaza from annihilation; it simply delays it. What we need are immediate, full and unequivocal ceasefires, with all hostages held by Hamas released and allowed to return home, and this matter should be actively negotiated and delivered now. The nations of Europe - indeed, the wider international community - must call a stop to the horrific bombardment and siege of Gaza. We need a decisive international intervention based on the rule of international law, a return to good-faith dialogue and a pathway to a just settlement and a lasting peace.

The words of the great Martti Ahtisaari, a great friend to this country in our search for peace and justice, should ring very loudly at tomorrow's European Council meeting:

Peace is [in the end] a question of will. All conflicts can be settled, and there are no excuses for allowing them to become eternal.

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