Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

The horror unfolding in Gaza is on an unimaginable scale. In just over a month, Israel has dropped more than 25,000 tonnes of explosives on the besieged Gaza Strip, which is home to 2.3 million people, half of whom are children. Shockingly, more than one in 20 people in Gaza is now believed to be either injured, missing or dead. Entire families have been wiped out and the number of child casualties continues to spiral, with on average 160 children dying every single day.

Yet much of the international community, particularly the West, has turned its back on the people of Gaza. When Russia invaded Ukraine, there was rightly no shortage of condemnation or action from the EU and others. Where is that leadership now? Hamas’ terrorist attack on 7 October, the killing of 1,200 people and the taking of 240 hostages, was horrific and has been roundly condemned. Surely there can be no denying that Israel’s response to that atrocity must be equally condemned as savage, barbaric, inhumane and utterly disproportionate. This cannot and must not be treated as a regional issue to be kept at arm’s length. This crisis is a test of the EU’s commitment to human rights, international law and basic humanity. It is also a test of the UN Security Council. There are major questions about both.

Life in Gaza is a living nightmare and the international community must take a stand against Israeli atrocities. How can we ignore the huge death toll and the targeted attacks on civilian infrastructure, especially the unprecedented targeting of hospitals, which is a direct breach of war rules? As of Sunday, the WHO had recorded at least 137 attacks on healthcare facilities, resulting in over 500 deaths and nearly 700 injuries, including the deaths of almost 200 healthcare workers. Shockingly, we learned this morning that contact with the main hospital in Gaza has been lost. One of those healthcare workers was Dr. Hammam Alloh, the nephrologist in Al-Shifa Hospital. When asked in an interview why he and his family did not move south, he replied that he continued working because he had to think of his patients and he had not become a doctor to think only of his life. Eleven days later, he was killed by an Israeli strike.

As the casualties continue to mount, more and more healthcare facilities are being dismantled. Over half of the territory’s 35 hospitals are no longer functioning, with all but one operating in northern Gaza. Al-Shifa Hospital, Gaza’s main hospital, is under constant siege. With power cut off, the death toll of patients is rising rapidly. Premature babies in incubators and patients on life support have been given little or no chance. Bodies are becoming decomposed in the yard and medical waste is accumulating inside the hospital. Patients and healthcare workers are at enormous risk, especially during surgery and childbirth. According to the WHO, vast numbers of Palestinians are now suffering from serious infections. UN aid agencies have warned of cholera, typhoid and measles outbreaks as a result of the water and sanitation crisis in Gaza. This spread of disease will only accelerate unless there is a ceasefire. Daily pauses are of little consequence in these circumstances. Nowhere is safe. There is no refuge. An immediate ceasefire must be demanded.

We acknowledge that the State has taken a principled stance, more so than other countries on the international stage, but the bar is exceptionally low. The Government must go much further. The Irish people are demanding it. This is a humanitarian and health catastrophe of unprecedented proportions. Every possible avenue must be exhausted, be that at EU or UN level, in order to demand an immediate ceasefire and to start the process of building a pathway to peace.

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