Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)

Like the Deputy, I welcome the announcement that Israel and Hamas have agreed on the first phase of a deal to end the horrors in Gaza and to try to bring about peace. I also warmly welcome the release of 20 Israeli hostages after two long years in captivity. Every effort must also be made to find and release the bodies of the remaining hostages. Our focus must now be on preserving the ceasefire and flooding Gaza with desperately needed humanitarian aid. The people of Gaza have endured unimaginable suffering. In all my conversations with Arab nations, and I have had many, and in all my conversations with European counterparts and the UN, that is the plea of the region. It is the plea of the people of Gaza, the Palestinian Authority and Arab nations. That is where our focus is. However, the Deputy is right that there does need to be accountability. We cannot just say we will seize the ceasefire now and everything moves on. I get that point too.

Ireland has consistently been at the forefront of calls for Israel to comply with international law. We always stress the universal applicability of international law, including international humanitarian law. That is why we were the first to write to the President of the European Commission requesting an urgent review of Israel’s compliance with its human rights obligations under the association agreement. The subsequent review led to the package of proposals from the Commission, including the proposed suspension of the core trade-related provisions of the association agreement. Notwithstanding the positive and welcome recent developments, Ireland has made it clear that the EU must keep the package of measures proposed by the Commission in response to Israeli human rights and other breaches on the table. I underlined this point at the Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg yesterday.

With regard to ensuring Israel’s compliance with international law and accountability regarding that, Ireland has filed a declaration of intervention at the International Court of Justice, ICJ, in South Africa’s case against Israel under the Genocide Convention. Ireland also filed a detailed written submission within the ICJ in advisory proceedings concerning the obligations of Israel in relation to the UN and other international organisations as well as states in the occupied Palestinian territory.

Ireland is a strong supporter of the International Criminal Court and we view it as the cornerstone of our international system of criminal justice. We will continue to work with our international partners, including within the EU, to support the ICC in fulfilling its mandate. We are also providing very practical support to the Palestinian Authority and its reform agenda thereto.

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