Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)

I want to return to the issue of the global flotilla. I spoke this morning with Senator Chris Andrews, our colleague. His boat, the Spectre, was hit by four Israeli drones. I understand that 11 devices hit that and other boats on the flotilla. These are clearly acts of intimidation, of menace, and of threat. They represent yet another brazen violation of international law. It is simply a symptom of the impunity gifted to Netanyahu and gifted to Israel, to their apartheid, to their occupation and now to their ongoing acts of genocide. As the Minister has acknowledged, the flotilla is a mission of mercy and humanity to break the blockade of Gaza and to deliver aid, and more broadly to put pressure on Israel to stop the genocide and to put pressure on the international community to punish Israel. I appreciate the Minister's earlier words but will he amplify what the Government will concretely do to protect Irish citizens and others on the flotilla?

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