Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Over the past year, we have witnessed the unfolding of a humanitarian catastrophe of staggering proportions in the Middle East. Israel's military operations continue in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon, with dire consequences for a civilian population caught in the violence.

With the brutal attack by Hamas on 7 October last year, more than a year ago, over 100 hostages still remain captive or unaccounted for in Gaza. The humanitarian situation is Gaza is truly horrific. Israeli aerial, land and maritime bombardments continue to pummel the Gaza Strip and its population. This is completely unacceptable. More than 43,000 people have been killed and over 100,000 injured. More than 1.9 million people in Gaza are internally displaced, which is almost 90% of the population. Many have had to move countless times. Acute malnutrition is ten times higher than before the war.

Some 345,000 people are facing catastrophic levels of food insecurity.

As the Irish Government has said repeatedly, Israel must fulfil its obligations and comply with international humanitarian law. This House, as has been said, is united in its horror at the level of destruction and human suffering we are witnessing. The urgency for peace could not be clearer. It is for this reason that the Government will not oppose the motion. We understand why the Social Democrats has brought it forward and the anger and frustration that have been expressed in the House. However, the Government cannot support the motion. There are several elements in it that do not reflect the realities that face us under international law or the realities of the Government's position.

The Government is focused on pursuing policies and initiatives that have a real and meaningful impact on what the Palestinian people are facing. We do so with full consideration of the overall political and legal landscape. Real change will not be brought about by unilateral measures or symbolic gestures. Our goals remain clear. We need to see an immediate de-escalation of the conflict across the region, an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the immediate release of hostages and a massive scale-up of humanitarian aid into Gaza. Ireland is committed to using all the tools at its disposal - political, legal, diplomatic and humanitarian - to respond to the conflict and work toward achieving these aims. We have provided a total of €56 million in support of the Palestinian people since the beginning of last year. Of this, €40 million has been provided in humanitarian assistance in response to the suffering caused by the conflict in Gaza since last October.

In May, Ireland recognised the State of Palestine, marking a deeply significant moment in our bilateral relations. It sent a clear signal to the rest of the world of Ireland's solidarity at a time of immense despair for the Palestinian people. The recognition of Palestine is not the end of a process; it is the start. Ireland is deeply committed to the pursuit of peace and support for Palestinian state-building, and we have been for many decades. Our intensive diplomacy and long-standing development co-operation programmes are testament to this fact.

The Government has also intensified Ireland's international engagement, with our involvement in the important work of the new global alliance for the implementation of the two-state solution, which was launched during UN high-level week in New York. Ireland's support for a two-state solution to the Palestinian conflict has long been, and remains, a core priority of our foreign policy. A two-state solution is the only just and sustainable peaceful solution for Palestinians and Israeli citizens. The Government is working to build consensus at EU and international level to support the implementation of a negotiated two-state solution and lasting peace process.

The case initiated by South Africa against Israel was completely dismissed by some Deputies today, which is-----

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