Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As I said earlier, there is a ceasefire proposal on the table negotiated by the Egyptians, Qataris and Americans. It is our strong view that Israel and Hamas should both accept that ceasefire proposal. It will allow the killing to stop. It will allow refugees, or at least some of them, to return to their homes and it will allow aid, which is desperately needed by Palestinian civilians, to get in. It will also facilitate the release of more than 100 Israeli hostages who have been held for more than three months now, against their will, by Hamas. If we can secure that three-month ceasefire, there is a real possibility of that becoming permanent. That will, of course, require the removal of the Hamas leadership and fighters from that territory.

I echo the comments of the Minister, Deputy Coveney, earlier today. I do not believe that you respond to a massacre with more massacres and I do not believe that you can defeat a monster by behaving like a monster yourself. We will continue to work with our partners in the EU and other parts of the world to do what we can do that we believe will be effective.

On trade sanctions, the Deputy will be aware that trade is an EU competence and has been since the Single European Act.

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