Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

This week, we have seen the humanitarian situation in Gaza worsen further. After a brief glimmer of hope last week with the humanitarian pauses, we have seen absolute devastation wreaked across the Gaza Strip, with reports of 16,000 people killed, including thousands of children. Gazans are facing a deepening horror, the UN tells us, as disease spreads, food is scarce and humanitarian aid is all but cut off. Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said that the situation is apocalyptic. His colleagues have described the situation as the remnants of a nation being driven into a pocket in the south. UN officials have been told to empty warehouses of goods and move on. Where to go? There is nowhere to go for people in Gaza.

Nearly all of us in the House condemned the brutal attack by Hamas when it was carried out on 7 October. Nothing excuses Israel's brutal retaliation, bombardment and carpet bombing of Gaza. Israel's breach of international law and resultant commission of war crimes have effectively turned Gaza into a city of ruin. That was what Netanyahu threatened on 7 October. That threat has now been realised, with unthinkable consequences for many civilians who have been forced to leave their homes and see their friends, family and children killed. They have seen buildings and infrastructure turned into rubble. Hospitals and UN facilities have been targeted. There is seemingly no end in sight, two months on from the onset of the most recent war.

While many of us have been proud of Ireland's strong stance in support of Palestinian rights and support the Government on that, we now urge the Government to do more because it can do more. We are all continuing to receive correspondence from people across the country who want the Government to do more and are urging a stronger stance at international level, and here in Ireland, from the Government. We want a stronger response from Ireland, pushing at EU level, to ensure other EU member states can be brought on board to seek the crucial goal of a permanent humanitarian ceasefire.

Will the Taoiseach update the House on his Government's response to what are now genocidal policies being conducted by Netanyahu and his government? Will he tell us how he is going to work at European Council next week to ensure that pressure is brought to bear on his colleagues? I am conscious that Fine Gael is a member of the European People's Party, the largest grouping in the European Parliament. The President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, is drawn from the European People's Party. We know that at the European Council next week, EU leaders are to discuss the situation in the Middle East. What will the Taoiseach do at EU level to push for a ceasefire and put pressure on Netanyahu's government to ensure that we see an end to this horrific toll on civilians in Gaza?

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