Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

More than 13,000 children are among the 31,000 people killed in Gaza in a little over five months, with 72,000 people injured. Having completely exhausted food supplies and coping capacities, more than 1 million people are struggling with catastrophic hunger and starvation. Famine is imminent. In the past number of days Israel has denied UNRWA Commissioner-General Lazzarini entrance to Rafah, while also subjecting the 1.5 million people seeking shelter there, to overnight missile attacks. Those responsible for cold-blooded massacre, war crimes and genocide currently enjoy what is among the most preferential diplomatic, economic and trading relationships with the EU of virtually any non-EU country, worth billions of euro each year.

The joint letter from the Taoiseach and Prime Minister Sánchez of Spain seeking an urgent review of whether Israel is complying with its human rights obligations under the EU-Israel association agreement, was a welcome intervention. While at various points the EU or individual member states have been quick to initiate reviews of Palestinian NGOs or funding of UNRWA, any attempt to pressure Israel to end its onslaught and adhere to international humanitarian law has proceeded at a woeful pace. If I picked up the Taoiseach's words correctly, he has not received a response to the letter from EU Commission President von der Leyen. Will he confirm that? Has he received any feedback form any sources as to whether a review will be conducted? Has a process begun? At what pace will that proceed in order to reach some form of conclusion?

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