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

I move amendment No. 1:

To delete all the words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following: "deeply deplores the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza, including the death of over 11,000 people, including 5,000 children, over 100 United Nations (UN) workers and over 40 journalists, and the damage and destruction of hospitals, schools, UN premises, and infrastructure in Gaza, following Israel's military actions in Gaza;

condemns the barbaric attack by Hamas on Israel on 7th October, in which 1,200 people were killed and at least 243 people were kidnapped, and demands the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and for an immediate ceasefire;

also condemns the killing of children and civilians;

reiterates its deep concern at violence in the West Bank, in particular settler violence against Palestinian communities causing displacement;

demands immediate, large scale, rapid, unhindered, and safe humanitarian access, to include food, clean water, fuel and medical supplies to more than two million people in Gaza, and deplores the displacement of over 1.5 million people in Gaza;

notes that the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) announced the opening of an investigation into the situation in Palestine (including Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem) in March 2021, and that the Prosecutor of the ICC, Karim Khan, has reaffirmed, most recently on 17th November, that this investigation covers the current, ongoing conflict, including all events on and from 7th October this year;

welcomes the Government's allocation of a further €3 million to the ICC, to adequately resource such an investigation;

also reiterates that all hostages should be released immediately and unconditionally;

agrees that:

— all members of the international community have an obligation to respect and ensure respect for international humanitarian law, in all situations of armed conflict, and that all alleged breaches of international humanitarian law must be investigated, and perpetrators held to account;

— a war crime is defined by the nature of the act, not the identity of the perpetrator, and international humanitarian law, including the prohibition on the targeting of civilians, the principles of distinction, precaution and proportionality, the prohibition on collective punishment, and the prohibition on the taking of hostages and use of 'human shields', applies to all armed conflicts and is binding on all parties; and

— there are no planes with weapons en route to Israel stopping at Shannon Airport or any other Irish airport; and

calls on the Government to:

— intensify its calls and advocacy for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages;

— pursue all possible avenues at the European Union (EU) and the UN to build an international alliance for peace, to provide a pathway away from violence and back to the negotiation table;

— provide strong leadership at EU level to advocate for a comprehensive response, based on the founding values of the EU of human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, which are embedded in the Treaty on the European Union;

— uphold the importance and centrality of diplomacy at times of conflict;

— intensify its advocacy against all breaches of international law;

— ensure that justice and accountability apply equally to all people, in all situations, and reiterates that all victims deserve their rights to be vindicated equally; and

— continue Ireland's consistent and strong support for the ICC and upholds the independence and impartiality of the Court.".

It has been impossible to witness the events in the Middle East since 7 October without feeling utter dismay, horror and ever-increasing anger and alarm. I have no doubt that Members across the Dáil share these sentiments and I know the Irish public do too.

I will shortly address the matter of the motion tabled today by People Before Profit but I would like to look at the broader situation before I do so. First, I welcome the news breaking last night and early this morning of an agreement between Israel and Hamas on the release of some hostages held in Gaza and a limited truce. While full details of what has been agreed and the timings are still emerging, this is an important and positive step, and will, hopefully, facilitate the access to humanitarian assistance needed so urgently by the people of Gaza and return some of those held by Hamas to their loved ones.

Our focus, in particular, is on nine-year-old Irish citizen, Emily Hand. I know Deputies will understand if I do not go into detail on Emily's case. We have worked consistently for her release over recent weeks, including through extensive contacts with regional partners. I take this chance to note that Ireland unreservedly condemns the practice of hostage-taking and appeals for the immediate release of all remaining hostages. The efforts of the US, Qatar and Egypt in securing this agreement are to be commended. Their work highlights the value of effective diplomacy. The release of hostages and truce have potential to be an important step towards a de-escalation of this conflict and we urge all parties to now prioritise the humanitarian needs of Gaza's civilian population, extend any ceasefire and find a way to return to the negotiating table.

Ireland is widely recognised to have projected global leadership on this crisis since 7 October. We have taken a principled, human-centred approach and rightly stressed the need to protect ordinary people thrust into the front lines of terrible conflict. International humanitarian law is there to protect the most vulnerable in our darkest moments. I am proud of the Government’s principled approach to this conflict. Those principles will continue to underpin our work. I am pleased to note that 51 Irish citizens and their dependents have now been assisted to leave Gaza via the Rafah crossing into Egypt by the Department of Foreign Affairs. In the context of what has just been said, motions did not get these Irish citizens out of Gaza, diplomacy did. This is the bottom line.

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