Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

"We're seeing mass starvation now and famine before our very eyes...I think we, as humanity, need to look at ourselves in horror and dismay" These are the words of South Africa's foreign minister Naledi Pandor. Gaza is at the brink of famine. António Guterres has rightly said that such a famine would be entirely man-made. The people whom Israel has not managed to kill through its indiscriminate bombing and destruction of hospitals and basic infrastructure, it is now hoping to kill by starvation. We watched in horror as Israeli troops fired and killed more than 100 Palestinians and injured more than 750 as they tried to get food for their families. Watching in horror is not enough. We need the world to end this genocide.

This Parliament has long called for a ceasefire. The Irish people have been clear in their calls for a ceasefire and an end to this genocide. We need the international community to step up to the mark on this. We need to use our voice at the European Council to give voice to the Palestinians, to the more than 30,000 people who have been killed, and to all those doing their absolute best to survive.

We must tell our EU counterparts that remaining silent during a genocide is shameful and that history will judge them. They must intervene now for peace and for a full and immediate ceasefire.

See this speech in context