Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)

The situation in Gaza is not just a tragedy; it is a moral catastrophe. Over 66,000 Palestinians have been killed, entire districts have been reduced to rubble and hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to flee under relentless bombardment. Starving children are murdered while they wait for food. We have genocide and we have man-made famine. I say "man-made", but they are not men; they are monsters. Ireland knows the pain of occupation, and the struggle for dignity and for peace. Our history compels us to speak out when others are silenced. What is happening in Gaza is not a conflict, it is a systematic assault on a people's right to exist. The international community must do more, and Ireland must lead. Veto after veto by the United States at the UN is a betrayal of humanity. Aid convoys are being blocked, journalists are being targeted and the very fabric of civil life in Gaza is being torn apart. The Government here must follow the lead of the people of Ireland. Words must be turned into action; that is the real measure. There must be an immediate ceasefire, unfettered humanitarian access and accountability for war crimes. We must support the Palestinian people, not just with words but also with actions through boycotts, diplomacy and solidarity. Silence is complicity. In the face of such suffering, we must choose courage, justice and humanity. The eyes of the world are on the Global Sumud Flotilla. We wish them safe passage. They must be guaranteed that by their own governments and by the international community.

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