Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)

First, I will say that we earnestly hope that the peace will be sustained in Gaza. It is extremely important every effort is made to get huge volumes of humanitarian aid into Gaza, clean water and clean fuel in sufficient quantities to enable the people of Gaza to feed themselves, that the United Nations and all of its agencies would have primacy in distributing those goods, and that there would be sufficient deconfliction in Gaza to enable humanitarian workers and medics to do their work without the threat of violence or worse. That is, to me, now the most significant issue facing the people of Gaza, that that aid goes in unhindered, in line with the peace deal.

The release of the hostages is a big moment and should be acknowledged. They should never have been taken as hostages in the first instance. Many of them were attending a music festival and - I am not saying the Deputy is doing this - there should be no equivocation about that. Likewise, illegally detaining Palestinians without any trial or evidence base is also wrong. It is 100% wrong and should not be condoned.

The Irish Government, by the way, has been to the fore and if you talk to the Palestinian authorities-----

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