Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

As we sit here, bombs are exploding across Lebanon. They are exploding in supermarkets, offices and cars and they are indiscriminate in the taking and injuring of life. This is clearly a strategic move on the part of the Israeli regime that is designed to escalate the conflict more widely and, crucially from its perspective, to bring the United States directly into the conflict. I can only assume that a large part of this strategy is based upon the wish to deflect attention away from the genocide that has now gone on for virtually a year in Gaza and for the escalation of attacks that we have already seen in the West Bank. The truth of the matter is that Israel will continue to do what it has been doing for as long as it gets away with it or in other words, for as long as there are no consequences for it to pay. The question we must ask ourselves in this House and in democratic houses across the world is what are the consequences going to be.

We know what Ireland needs to do. We need to ensure that the occupied territories Bill and Sinn Féin's Israeli Illegal Israeli Settlements Divestment Bill and other meaningful sanctions are levied against a regime that is in blatant violation of international law every single day. Will the Taoiseach ensure that we play our part in enforcing those consequences?

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