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

I am extremely concerned by the horrific violence that we have witnessed in the West Bank, which has drastically increased since 7 October 2023. The UN has reported that approximately 358 Palestinian people have been killed in the West Bank since the outbreak of the conflict in Gaza, including eight people killed in attacks by violent settlers. This marks the highest number of Palestinians killed in one year since the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs began keeping record in 2005 in the West Bank. This is unacceptable. The sharp rise in settler violence, the displacement of Palestinian communities and the maltreatment of Palestinian prisoners is worrying and dangerous and needs to be condemned. The protection of civilians must be our priority.

I have consistently voiced criticism of actions by Israeli settlers and security forces in the West Bank, which both infringe on the rights of Palestinians and undermine the Palestinian Authority. Ireland has been vocal in condemning these violations and the Government will continue to push for a halt to these actions while actively supporting Palestinians living under threat. Ireland has repeatedly called on Israel to dismantle settlements, hold violent settlers accountable and end the practice of administrative detention in the West Bank. This was a focus of my engagement with Israeli counterparts during my visits in September and November last year. This also featured in my discussions with the Israeli and Palestinian foreign ministers at the EU Foreign Affairs Council earlier this week.

I have also raised my concern about the treatment of Palestinians in the West Bank at EU level. Currently, discussions are taking place in the EU to agree sanctions against violent settlers in the West Bank, who are attacking and displacing Palestinian communities. The US has already taken such action. There have been good discussions at official level on proposals to sanction a number of individuals under the EU's global human rights sanction regime on the basis of strong evidence.

Ireland wants to see these discussions finalised and sanctions adopted as rapidly as possible. At the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels on Monday, I was very clear in calling for these sanctions on violent settlers to be imposed at EU level as quickly as possible.

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