Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This morning we all woke to the horrific news that Israeli soldiers had stormed Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza. Images of death, destruction and dying babies haunt us all. What Israel is doing is barbaric, inhumane and criminal. I have spent time in Palestine and I have seen at first-hand the utter disdain with which Israeli soldiers treat Palestinians. I cannot begin to imagine the pain and the suffering that they are inflicting on a civilian population now. Ireland has been a lonely voice on the international stage; we have been an outlier in the EU. That has resulted in an Israeli minister saying that Palestinians should go to the desert or to Ireland. The Tánaiste is on the ground in the region today and he has brought us the welcome news that Irish citizens are starting to escape Gaza because of our diplomatic channels. I ask the Taoiseach to use his reply to explain why we should maintain diplomatic channels with Israel even now.

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