Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)

The United Nations warned this week that 14,000 babies will die in Gaza if humanitarian aid is not allowed to enter. Last night, there were more child casualties, including a week-old baby. There are no words to describe the horror that Israel is inflicting on the people of Gaza. The wickedness of using starvation as a weapon of war against children cannot be overstated. It is a weapon of genocide. Human suffering at this scale requires us to do all in our power to stop it.

Ours is a small country but we have fierce diplomatic power. We know that Ireland and Spain led calls for a review of the EU-Israel trade deal. That is welcome. It is welcome, too, to see growing opposition to the deal among other member states. That was a change we led on, but we have a moral obligation to do more. Countries around the world - our British visitors may hear this too - have an obligation to do more. The Taoiseach has a moral obligation. The world is failing to stand with Gaza. Ireland must stand with Palestinian children and civilians. We must stand up for humanity because the response of the world would be very different if the headlines read that 14,000 babies in Ireland, Britain or any EU country would starve to death by the weekend. Every step would be taken to stop the preventable deaths of infants. Their suffering would not be treated with indifference, yet in Gaza it seems the world is going to stand by while 14,000 infants perish. History will not forgive us for it.

António Guterres has said the floodgates of horror have reopened and Gaza is a killing field. Civilians are in an endless death loop. Netanyahu's campaign was always driven by a plan to displace and exterminate. Josep Borrell has said, "Seldom have I heard the leader of a state so clearly outline a plan that fits the legal definition of genocide." More and more people, even within Israel, are recognising this. I heard from an Israeli citizen this week who said, "As a human being, I hate this government with all my heart. They are willing to sacrifice innocent lives, Palestinians and our own hostages. This madness has to end."

President Michael D. Higgins is right. The UN Security Council has failed in carrying out its primary responsibility to maintain international peace, and at what cost of failure? More than 55,000 people, including 15,000 children, have been killed in Gaza since 7 October 2023. Nearly 300,000 more children are on the brink of death and thousands are injured. This is devastation, and the UN is failing in all of our names. We must do more. Next week, we in Labour will bring a motion to the Dáil to mandate the Government to table an emergency resolution at the UN General Assembly to note the failure of the Security Council and to call for collective measures to secure a lasting ceasefire, a sustainable peace agreement and an international peacekeeping force for Gaza, to allow humanitarian aid to flow and to save lives. Our colleague Deputy Duncan Smith and I will be looking for unanimous support across this House for all our proposals. Will the Taoiseach pass the occupied territories Bill at home and, abroad, will he work to table that emergency motion at the UN?

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