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

Ireland will continue to be a leading voice in raising these issues. The Government will continue to push for a halt to settler violence and forced displacement, while actively supporting the resilience of Palestinians living under threat.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza is catastrophic and has worsened daily. The reports of the situation and the numbers of civilian casualties in Gaza are truly horrific. Most recent reports suggest that up to 14,000 people have been killed and more than 1.5 million people have been displaced, a huge proportion of the population, which is totally unacceptable. Gaza’s civilian population urgently needs food, water and medical supplies and international agencies, including the UN, need sustained access and adequate fuel to ensure that these vital supplies can be distributed without further delay. I very much hope the truce announced this morning will be the first step towards that essential sustained humanitarian access at scale.

Amid the terrible toll of civilian lives in Gaza are the deaths of over 100 UN staff. In addition, more than 200 healthcare workers have been killed in Gaza since the start of the war. Healthcare workers should never have to be exposed to such horror. We pay tribute to their bravery and that of all humanitarian workers in Gaza who continue to do their best to protect and preserve the lives of civilians. It is essential that the international community does more to protect these front-line workers, particularly regarding the provision of healthcare.

A shocking number of journalists have also been killed in Gaza, with more than 40 now believed to have lost their lives. Reporting from a conflict, particularly in a context like Gaza, where there is little safety and no way to leave, is a tremendous act of courage. The work of journalists is essential to highlight and inform the wider world of the situation on the ground.

No more lives should be lost. Ireland has repeatedly and consistently called for a humanitarian ceasefire. I welcome today’s news of progress in this regard and call for it to be a durable and lasting humanitarian ceasefire.

The very real concern of this Government about the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory is shared right across this House. However, the motion proposed by People Before Profit is naive, inaccurate and totally unacceptable, in that it would totally undermine our approach, relevance and capacity to influence, to what limited extent we can, the course of events.

Ireland is rightly seen in the region and across Europe as offering bold and principled leadership on this crisis. I believe this motion, if passed, would fatally undermine our efforts. The Government is clear that no airport in Ireland, whether Shannon or any other airport, is being used to transfer weapons to the Middle East or to any other war. This policy is well known and fully understood by our partners. No applications have been received or exemptions granted in relation to civil aircraft travelling to Israel since the start of the current conflict.

With regard to sanctions, Ireland does not operate any unilateral sanction regimes and the Government implements UN and EU sanctions adopted as part of the Common Foreign and Security Policy. The Government has moved a countermotion today setting out an approach that sees Ireland engaging consistently and effectively at the highest international levels. Our approach is principled and grounded in international law and underlines our commitment to diplomacy and the multilateral system.

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