Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Tánaiste said this morning that Ireland will recognise the state of Palestine by the end of this month. That is a very important step. As the Deputy said, EU member states and the international community have made it clear that an Israeli military operation in Rafah will inevitably lead to disastrous humanitarian consequences and the deaths of large numbers of innocent civilians. We urge Israel to cease its operation in Rafah immediately and avoid further escalation. Israel must facilitate safe, unimpeded access of humanitarian aid to the civilian population of Gaza, including by way of the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings. We are working with our EU partners. The European Council adopted conclusions on the situation in Israel and Gaza at its meeting in March. The Council urged Israel not to undertake a ground operation in Rafah.

See this speech in context