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

We have been very consistent in calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. We were one of the first European Union countries to come out and call, and rightly, for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and for unimpeded aid to go into Gaza, which are the two most urgent things that have to happen. Third is the release of all hostages that are being held by Hamas and then to get into a political peace track.

The Deputy asked a question and then tried to tell me how to answer it. I do not propose to go down that line because I do think there is a fundamental disingenuous approach being adopted by the Opposition in respect of this case and this issue. First, the Deputy asked how is Israel held to account. In the courts. We are already before the International Court of Justice. Ireland has already submitted a legal submission in respect of Israeli occupation of the occupied territories, the West Bank and so on. The Attorney General will be participating in a full hearing in February. I oversaw the submission of a very robust legal case that we had made to the court in respect of the breaches of international humanitarian law that we believe has happened in the occupied territories. So Ireland is active before the courts where accountability matters. Likewise, we have supported the international criminal court in respect of the case that Palestine has taken against that court and we have followed it up with significant funding which is what the prosecutor wanted. We gave an additional €3 million to the court to enable the court to have the resources to deal with that case and other cases it is dealing with. That case is active and it is prosecuting all actions from 7 October until now.

In respect of South Africa, no country has joined -----

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