Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising the most important situation at the moment in terms of the horrific humanitarian catastrophe, breach of international law and war crimes that are being committed. Tomorrow, I will attend a meeting of the European Union with the gulf states and on Thursday I will attend a meeting of the European Council where I will engage in detail with EU partners on the issue.

Yesterday, I took the opportunity to speak by phone with the President of Israel, Isaac Herzog, to register my extraordinarily serious concern about the deteriorating situation in southern Lebanon. The specific purpose of that phone call related to the protection of our troops. I am conscious of the 379 Irish men and women serving with distinction in southern Lebanon. I believe I speak for the entire House and the entire country when I say that we respect their bravery and thank them for their service and their safety is paramount to all of us. I want to be absolutely crystal clear on the record of this House that the deliberate firing at UNIFIL posts is outrageous. It is a totally unacceptable breach of international law. It is a cause of deepest concern to the Irish people, most particularly the families of the Irish Defence Forces personnel serving in Lebanon. I want to join with the Deputy in registering that. There needs to be full accountability for these actions. I am deeply concerned about the surge of violence in Lebanon and the launch of an Israeli ground incursion across the blue line.

We saw particularly vicious and despicable attacks and targeting of refugee camps and civilian targets over the weekend. This is deeply shocking. While all of this is going on, we cannot allow the world to forget about Gaza. We cannot forget about the fact that what I believe in is happening in Gaza is still a war on children. The World Food Programme has said it cannot get food in. We cannot get some of the sickest children out for life-saving and life-altering operations. I have spoken to the King and Queen of Jordan, who have led the humanitarian effort in many ways, in this regard. We cannot get the aid in. This could not be a more grave or serious situation.

I have been very clear. I have consistently said that every country must use every lever at its disposal. For different countries that means different things. For some countries, who are providing weapons, they should not provide weapons. For other countries like Ireland, where we are not providing weapons, we should be doing everything within our power as a country to register our absolute disgust at what is happening so that when our children look back on this time they say that in Ireland they did all they could to stand up for international law and human rights.

So far, we have recognised the State of Palestine and have consistently said at an EU level that the EU-Israeli trade association agreement should be reviewed because there are human rights clauses.

However, the Deputy is right that we have not managed to create a consensus about that, far from it. While I will continue to do that this week in bilateral engagements with colleagues, what I am saying is that, in light of the ICJ advisory opinion, I asked the Attorney General to review the situation as regards the occupied Palestinian territories to see whether Ireland can move on this. Last night, we received updated advice about legal issues surrounding the occupied Palestinian territories Bill, with the ICJ advisory opinion being an entirely new context. I have to be clear there are significant issues with the Bill, as currently drafted, from an EU point of view and from an Irish legal point of view. There genuinely are. That has been the consistent legal advice. However, the ICJ advisory opinion is potentially a game changer for what the country can do. It creates a new context for examination of the issue. We have agreed that formal advices will be presented to the Government next week. I am happy to engage with the Opposition with Government colleagues after that. I want to send a clear message - and I will do so at the European Council - that Ireland will no longer wait for EU consensus on this issue.

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