Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this very important issue once again in the Dáil. The Government's position, and the position of Ireland, is clear. We are calling for a ceasefire that will allow humanitarian aid to get into Gaza, including food, fuel, medicine or whatever is needed. We are calling for the hostages to be released and we believe a ceasefire can facilitate that. We are calling for the killing to stop, and that is why a ceasefire must be adhered to by all sides, not just by Israel but also by Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the other armed groups involved in this conflict. A ceasefire can create the space, perhaps, to begin contacts about the day after and about how Gaza is going to be returned to Palestinian control, and how it is going to be managed in the weeks, months and years ahead. That is why we are calling for a ceasefire, and that it is the position of the Government. That is very much our position.

We understand that there are some discussions under way between intermediaries involving the release of hostages. I had a chance to speak with the Prime Minister and foreign minister of Qatar only yesterday. I will meet today with the ambassadors of some Arab and Muslim countries. As the Deputy knows, the Tánaiste has been very involved in contacts as well. We are particularly pursuing the case of Emily Hand, a young Irish-Israeli girl who we believe is being held hostage in Gaza by Hamas. We are doing everything we can to make sure that, if there is the release of some hostages by Hamas in the coming days, children are first among those to be released. We are very strongly of the view that hostages should never be taken by anyone in any conflict anywhere, ever. However, the taking of children as hostages is particularly wrong. We are pushing and using all our contacts and abilities to ensure that if there is a hostage release in the coming days, Emily Hand is among one of those to be released. That is a major priority for us now as a Government. We should not forget that only one Irish citizen has been killed so far in this conflict, Kim Damti, who was killed by Hamas in Israel while attending a music festival, and there is an Irish citizen being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza. We are doing everything we can to facilitate her release.

On the International Criminal Court, ICC, we have had contact with the court. There is an investigation under way and there has been for several years. It does not require another referral; that is just symbolic. What the court actually wants is something of real value, such as the resources and tools it needs to carry out the investigation. That is why we have provided an extra €3 million to the court to give it the resources and the tools to carry out the investigation. Where the Deputy differs from the Government, I think, is that her call is to refer Israel to the ICC. That is not how it is done. The court looks at the situation on the ground, and it is not just about actions that Israel has committed that may well be war crimes. It is also about things that Hamas may have done or that other armed groups have done. That is where I think we differ but perhaps the Deputy wants to clarify that.

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