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

I welcome the Deputy's contribution. She is correct that when the EU signs and supports association agreements, these clauses have to mean something. I refer in particular to Israel's compliance with the essential elements clause of the agreement. The Commission needs to carry out a review. Josep Borrell has initiated a discussion on this, and I understand some work has been done in the context of the external action service in respect of assessing this.

Fundamentally, the letter from Prime Minister Sánchez and the former Taoiseach, Deputy Varadkar, requested that the Commission carry out a review of the association agreement in terms of whether the clauses were being fulfilled adequately by Israel. It is our view that those clauses have to mean something. We are clear that there has been a breach of international humanitarian law by Israel in Gaza. What is happening to Palestinians in Gaza is unacceptable by any humanitarian yardstick.

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