Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I welcome this opportunity to set out the Government position on the situation in the Middle East. The region is experiencing a period of significant jeopardy and instability with multiple crises playing out, many of which are interrelated and all of which threaten further escalation, further destruction and further devastating loss of civilian lives.

I will turn first to the appalling and deteriorating situation in Gaza, where we continue to witness the unending horrors of a brutal onslaught - a clear genocide. More than 56,000 people are reported killed and over 132,000 injured. Behind these stark numbers are scenes of almost unimaginable suffering, both physical and psychological. In the first instance, let me recall Ireland’s position, which has been considered, consistent and compassionate. We have stayed true to our values of upholding human rights and international law even when it has sometimes been a lonely place to take leadership positions, which have subsequently belatedly gathered consensus.

We have strongly condemned and continue to strongly condemn the continuing Israeli activity in Gaza and we have called it out for the genocidal activity that it is. We strongly urge the Israeli authorities to call a halt to these military operations. We need an urgent end to hostilities. I unequivocally condemn the terror attacks by Hamas in Israel on 7 October 2023. I unequivocally condemn the unconscionable taking of hostages by Hamas and have repeatedly called for their release. I repeat that call here today. Hamas has brought nothing but death and destruction to Palestinians and Israelis. I urge all involved to support and engage in the efforts that are under way to reach agreement on a new ceasefire and hostage release agreement. Today, I met with the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, which is one of the key interlocutors in terms of trying to bring about a ceasefire. I now believe based on that conversation that there is a real window of opportunity to get a ceasefire, to get humanitarian aid flowing and to get the hostages released and people need to seize this opportunity. Let us take this window of opportunity and let us see an end to the unimaginable suffering. I also reiterate that the Israeli response in Gaza is a despicable and clear breach of international law.

The current volume and pace of aid deliveries into Gaza under Israel’s so-called partial easing of its blockade remains critically insufficient and is an affront to any accepted understanding of the operation of humanitarian aid. It is a drop in the ocean compared to the vast and urgent needs of Gaza’s entire population for food, water, medicines, shelter and fuel - the very basic items necessary for daily life and items denied to the civilian population by Israeli restrictions. The assessment by the IPC global hunger monitor in May found that the entire population of Gaza was facing high levels of food insecurity with half a million people facing starvation. We are now in July. Two months have passed without adequate action. The humanitarian situation remains catastrophic. The Qatari Prime Minister and I were remarking today that no matter how unimaginably horrific the situation appears to be through what we see in the media, it can only be much worse on the ground, if that is possible to comprehend. We continue to see mass casualty incidents at distribution centres run by private contractors under the new Israeli-approved model of aid delivery. This model has rightly been described by the head of UNRWA as “a death trap”. Food distribution has been chaotic and has resulted in multiple violent incidents and people have been killed while queuing for food. Over 400 people have been killed and over 3,000 have been injured.

I join the UN Secretary General’s condemnation of this situation and call for accountability. Perpetrators must be held accountable. These are people who shoot others dead while they queue for food for themselves and their starving children. We must be clear. Life-saving aid must never be weaponised. Humanitarian principles must be followed. Hospitals must never be militarised or targeted. On 5 June, the World Health Organization warned that the denial of aid and restricted access had systematically dismantled the health system in Gaza. This, also, is unacceptable.

At every possible opportunity, Ireland has called on Israel to allow unimpeded access of humanitarian aid at scale into and throughout Gaza. The announcement last week by Prime Minister Netanyahu that he had ordered that all humanitarian aid once again be halted from entering the Gaza Strip was more than deeply concerning. It was disgusting, despicable and illegal. It was yet another example of the weaponisation of aid.

I again implore Israel to facilitate the UN and humanitarian partners to deliver aid in accordance with international law and humanitarian principles. Time and again, UNRWA and other UN agencies have demonstrated their capabilities as humanitarian responders. This is the most sickening thing - we know how to get the aid into Gaza. It could happen today if UN agencies were allowed to do their job. We recall most recently, during the January to March ceasefire, how they were quickly able to feed and provide aid for more than 2 million people. Ireland has provided over €88 million in support for the people of Palestine since January 2023, of which more than €75 million has been provided since October 2023. This includes €58 million for UNRWA. At the EU level, I continue to advocate for our partners to increase their support to UNRWA, and I welcome the EU’s payment of €52 million to UNRWA last month.

In June, we saw some progress on issues where Ireland had been at the forefront. I welcome that the review of Israel’s compliance with its obligations under Article 2 of the EU-Israel association agreement has been finalised. Ireland and Spain first called for this step in February 2024. I have always been clear that any such review can only reach one conclusion, namely, that Israel is in breach of its obligations under that agreement. This is a significant finding. Now that it is there, it cannot be reversed. That finding exists. It is a finding of fact. The High Representative has said she will communicate this clearly to Israel. I have also been clear with my EU counterparts that we now need to see options for follow-up actions. A country cannot breach an association agreement with the EU and it be consequence free. The EU’s credibility depends on what it does next.

While the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza is rightly at the forefront of our minds, it is important not to forget or gloss over the extremely worrying developments in the West Bank. Since January, Israel’s military operations have displaced at least 40,000 people and caused widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure and homes. Refugee camps in Tulkarm, Nur Shams and Jenin have been rendered uninhabitable. The scale, speed and severity of displacement is unprecedented. This is in addition to a rising trend of settlement expansion and settler violence prior to 7 October, conducted within an environment of impunity.

The West Bank Protection Consortium, a coalition of humanitarian organisations and international donors, now estimates that 58,000 Palestinians across 195 communities it monitors are at direct risk of forcible displacement. We are all alarmed by the recent announcement of the approval of a further 22 new settlements in the West Bank, an action openly described by the Israeli defence minister as “a strategic move that prevents the establishment of a Palestinian state”. The implications of this are clear for all to see. The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process has warned that if this trajectory is not reversed, it will make the two-state solution physically impossible. In her words, the two-state solution is on life support. We call on Israel to immediately halt these activities, and we continue to press the EU to urgently take forward further sanctions on violent settlers.

A shared priority with both our European and regional partners at this time is the UN High-Level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution. Regrettably, the conference has been postponed as a result of developments in the region. It is important that the rescheduled conference go ahead when conditions allow. I have discussed this with my Saudi and French counterparts, who are co-chairing this initiative.

Ireland will continue to use every lever at our disposal - political, diplomatic and legal - in our response to this situation. We are delivering on the commitment in the programme for Government to progress legislation prohibiting import of goods from the settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories following the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice of 19 July 2024. As members of the House are aware, the Government approved the general scheme of that Bill last week. I have referred the general scheme to the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade for pre-legislative scrutiny, which has commenced this week. I note the presence of the Chair of that committee, Deputy Lahart. I look forward to hearing the deliberations of the committee when it has completed its work. I know it is endeavouring to do so in a time-efficient manner and I am eager to work with the committee.

I have been honest about this from the start, but we must continue to press for EU action in parallel with this. It is disappointing, although that is too weak a word, to note that, over a week since we published our Bill, we are yet to see any other member state do likewise. I reiterate my call across parties for all of us to use our political contacts in other member states to see if other countries would consider doing what Ireland is doing. Ireland believes it is possible for member states to move forward on this as a result of the ICJ advisory opinion. If we want to maximise the leverage to bring about the conditions for a ceasefire, it would be extremely helpful if other member states also produced legislation.

Last week, I joined nine other EU foreign ministers in asking the High Representative to call for the EU to undertake a detailed review of its own compliance with the advisory opinion of the ICJ. I am pleased that this review will now be taken forward and that the High Representative will seek legal advice. The European Union must make sure it is in compliance with the International Court of Justice. I will follow this closely and will call for concrete proposals for action for member states to discuss.

Much attention and activity in recent weeks has been expended on the conflict between Iran and Israel. This was a highly dangerous situation, in which two major powers in the region directly attacked each other, in which nuclear facilities were directly attacked, as well as cities and infrastructure, and in which there was a great risk of other states in the region being drawn in. Our most urgent focus in Ireland and the wider EU was in seeking de-escalation and a step back from the brink, urging a return to dialogue and diplomacy to solve these issues, and also in trying to assist our own personnel and citizens caught up in the situation. I want to thank our diplomats in the region and other EU states that helped us in assisting our citizens at that time.

I discussed the situation with my EU colleagues at an emergency virtual Foreign Affairs Council on 17 June and attended in person a meeting of the regular Foreign Affairs Council on 23 June. I had bilateral calls with my counterparts in Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE. I also spoke with the deputy foreign minister of Iran, where I made the same points.

Our missions in Tel Aviv, Ramallah and Tehran were in close contact with Irish citizens to offer consular support and assistance in difficult circumstances where airspace was closed. My Department assisted 24 Irish citizens and dependants to leave Israel and Iran by overland routes. Our teams in the region stayed in close contact with those who remained in place and continue to provide support and assistance. In view of the security situation, I took the decision to temporarily relocate diplomatic personnel from our embassy in Tehran. The embassy to Iran is now based temporarily in the Department of foreign affairs here in Dublin.

I very much welcomed the ceasefire agreed last week. It is fragile but seems to be holding. We remain clear that only a negotiated diplomatic solution can properly resolve the many concerns around Iran’s nuclear programme. However, we must also recognise reality. Iran’s threats against Israel are unacceptable. So is its support for militant armed groups around the region, such as Hezbollah and the Houthis. Many states in Europe have experienced security issues with Iran’s activity on their territory and with Iran’s long sustaining of the brutal Assad regime and its supply of weapons to Russia for use in its illegal war in Ukraine.

A great many states were alarmed at Iran’s apparent efforts to, at the very least, put itself in a position where it could acquire nuclear weapons. Ireland shares these concerns about Iranian policies more generally and its nuclear programme in particular. Put simply, there are aspects of the Iranian nuclear programme that are inexplicable in terms of civilian nuclear power. However, we believe strongly in negotiation to resolve these issues. This had succeeded in the 2015 JCPOA agreement with Iran, which offered an agreed path to addressing Iran’s nuclear programme. Regrettably, that agreement was undermined before it was able to achieve its full objectives.

As we know, there were nuclear talks between Iran and the US, which were still ongoing when Israel decided to attack Iran. We were not privy to those talks or to the positions either side was advancing. Perhaps they could have succeeded, perhaps not, but the idea that there were talks going on that were then disrupted and ultimately ended by Israel’s attack on Iran was extraordinarily escalatory and unhelpful.

We must recall that the JCPOA was achieved by international sanctions after many years when progress was not achieved at all. It is my hope that the ceasefire now in place will continue to hold. The effect of military action may have been to set back Iran’s programme. I urge all involved to now return to diplomacy. There are some indications that the US and Iran may return to talks.

The EU can make a positive contribution through the work of the High Representative and France, Germany and the UK. It is important that we keep all channels open to Iran and encourage a return to diplomacy.

It is important for Iran to maintain co-operation with the IAEA, and I greatly regret its decision today to move further away from that. The IAEA has an extraordinarily important role to play.

I said earlier that only a diplomatic solution can properly resolve this issue, and this is even clearer after military action has taken place. I believe a diplomatic solution is not only necessary, but is entirely possible. The possibility for a peaceful solution rests largely with the choices Iran now makes. It must turn away from seeking its own security through the intimidation and destabilisation of their neighbours and the threat of a nuclear weapon. If it does so, I believe it will find a ready response regionally and internationally. Above all, we need to see a reassertion of international law and the peaceful resolution of disputes between states. Attacks on nuclear facilities are deeply concerning and extraordinarily dangerous and should always be avoided.

In the time available, I would like to mention two further issues, namely, Lebanon and Syria. Our connection and commitment to Lebanon remains strong. Lebanon faces many serious difficulties, but it has made much progress in the last year in electing a new president and government. The weakening of Hezbollah may make it possible for Lebanon to gain full control of its territory, including in the south. This is crucial for the long-term security of Lebanon, Israel and the region. I urge all involved to work towards this and to refrain from actions that undermine this, including continuing actions by Hezbollah and Israel. I hope also that it will become possible for Israel to withdraw its remaining presence from Lebanon and for displaced communities to return to their homes in security on both sides of the border. UNIFIL has been central to our commitment to Lebanon, and we strongly believe that the force plays a valuable role. I was able to see at first hand the important contribution of the men and women of the Defence Forces serving in UNIFIL when I visited Lebanon in March. In my meeting with my Lebanese counterparts, they impressed on me the important role of UNIFIL in supporting the Lebanese armed forces, but also in implementing the ceasefire agreement. Discussions are now ongoing at the UN about the renewal of the UNIFIL mandate. Ireland will use its voice to support an outcome that supports the government and people of Lebanon and ensures the safety of our peacekeepers.

Syria has tentatively emerged from a terrible civil war and brutal regime. Its new government faces many questions and challenges, but broadly speaking we can say it is trying to construct a new Syria, a Syria that must be more open and inclusive, in which the human rights of all Syrians, regardless of their faith or ethnicity, are upheld and the rights of Syrian women are protected. The new government is trying to do that in the context where many of the armed groups that emerged during the war are still in existence, including remnants of the former regime and violent fanatics. Ireland supported the EU's speedy removal of most economic sanctions on Syria and we wish to work positively with the new Syrian authorities to give them every chance to succeed because the people of Syria deserve that chance.

Finally, although recent events have commanded our attention, it is important that this is not the sum of Ireland's engagement with the Middle East. Much of it is more positive. Our Government adopted a strategy for Ireland's engagement across the Middle East and North Africa in October 2024, focusing our developments on bilateral links, economic relations and people-to-people contacts. We enjoy good relations with Middle Eastern partners and many Irish people have gone to live and work there, notably in the Gulf. We operate joint economic committees with Saudi Arabia and agreed this year to the establishment of that process for the United Arab Emirates. Large numbers of students from the region study in Ireland, many of them on scholarships from their governments. There are regular political visits in both directions.

Earlier today, I met the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar, who yesterday collected on behalf of the Emir the Tipperary Peace Prize, recognising Qatar's long role as a mediator. It was a welcome engagement as Qatar is one of the lead negotiators behind the potential 60-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. While the situation remains extremely volatile, I very much hope we have now reached a point where the killing can stop and both sides can negotiate a meaningful and lasting ceasefire.

In my conversation with the Prime Minister of Qatar today, it was clear that there is some cautious optimism that a ceasefire may now be possible and we must seize this window of opportunity. We have to do so if there is a window of opportunity for the cessation of violence, an end to the genocidal activity, the release of hostages and a surge in unimpeded humanitarian aid. In the hours and days ahead, there will be a renewed effort to bring about that. I thank my Qatari counterpart for the engagement and update today and wish that process and talks well. I thank Qatar and others in the region who are playing an important role in that regard.

Today I met the president of the International Criminal Court, ICC. It is an international court that is under active attack. In this House, we must speak up and speak out for the work of the ICC. We are continuing to provide financial assistance, but the world needs international courts now more than ever. The sanctions the US has put in place against individual judges and the arrest warrants that Russia has put in place are deeply regrettable and seek to undermine the work of the ICC. I want to be very clear on the record of the House that the Government of Ireland and Ireland stands firmly in support of the ICC. I intend to raise this matter with European counterparts in terms of how we can do more to support an international court system that is clearly being threatened by efforts to undermine its work.

I thank the Members of the House for the continued focus we keep on issues in the Middle East. I look forward to working with Members to pass our occupied Palestinian territories Bill. I ask that we continue to work with all our contacts through our political groupings at a European level to seek to maximise the leverage that Europe can bring about in terms of playing a positive role in ending the violence, killings and genocide in Gaza and that we stand ready as a country to do all we can to help the people of Palestine create the state they desperately deserve and have every right to in order to enable Palestine and Israel to live safely and securely side-by-side.

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South-Central, Sinn Fein)
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Like most political representatives, one of the first things I do when I get up in the morning is to check the news headlines. It is a grim reality that on any given day for the past year and a half it is almost a certainty that we will wake up to fresh horrors from Gaza and Palestine. One could nearly set one's watch by it, it is that deplorably consistent in terms of the horrors we are seeing. Even today, I read that 40 have been killed overnight in Gaza.

The relentless nature of the conflict is almost without precedence in the past 20 or 30 years. It is very difficult to think of anything comparable. There has been slaughter upon slaughter. In the past few days, children have been killed simply for collecting aid for their families. I do not know how people manage to live their lives against this backdrop, and manage to do the basic things that any family would need to do on any given day in terms of collecting food, making sure there is water and looking after somebody who is sick amid the chaos, rubble, carnage, slaughter and risk of death on a daily basis.

I have put on the record in the past, and will do so again, my revulsion at the events of 7 October and the killing of innocent people. I deplore the taking of hostages and they need to be released. However, what has happened since then, in terms of proportionality, is that we are witnessing a genocide. I welcome the fact the Government has begun to use that language. It is strong language and should not be used lightly, but as it is absolutely valid in this instance. It is important that the people in Palestine and the Israeli Government hears western governments using such language. Israel needs to understand that it is completely beyond the Pale. Breaking international law does not even begin to cover it. It is breaking every kind of moral compass that one can imagine. That is the situation we are in.

One of the primary issues is the weaponisation and deprivation of aid. There is plenty of food and medical care surrounding the Gaza Strip at this moment in time, but it is prevented from entering Gaza by a government that is determined to use food and aid as a weapon of war against a defenceless civilian population. There is a difference between what happened under the aegis of UNRWA and the sort of puppet organisation that is currently providing aid, the chaos that ensues and the targeting of civilians on the back of that. Historically, by any legal or international standard aid should be beyond and above the fray, but that does not seem to be the case this moment in time.

It is vitally important that the Government and other western governments continue to raise their voices. There are developments at this moment in time. It is important the Government is vocal on the two-state solution conference that is forthcoming. There is a proposal for a reconstruction conference hosted by Egypt. Reconstruction is a long way from where we are at the moment. We all hope for a ceasefire.

I know there is some talk about that at this moment but, as ever, things develop at the rate of hours and hope on the horizon can, unfortunately, be quickly extinguished. We hope for a ceasefire but it is important that we not simply frame what is happening in Gaza in the context of a humanitarian situation. We also need a political solution and it needs to be hinged on the two-state solution, something that is under severe pressure.

I have spoken for longer than intended, but I will take this opportunity to thank our peacekeepers in Lebanon for their service. They are there under very difficult circumstances.

To comment briefly on what is happening in Iran, it is very clear that what is required is dialogue, diplomacy and de-escalation. The attacks by Israel on Iran were reckless and dangerous and risked destabilising the entire region. To be clear, the region and the wider world do not need more nuclear weapons. Ireland has led the way on this historically, and we do not want to see Iran possess nuclear weapons. Avoiding this requires a negotiated settlement of the kind that existed in the past and can exist again. We urge dialogue and de-escalation.

We will have discussion on the occupied territories Bill but, in my view, there is no legal obstacle to the issue of services. There is a noble desire on the part of Irish people to assist and show solidarity. There are issues regarding solidarity trips to Ireland with visas, such as the Ireland GAA trip and the Lajee Center cultural association. I will correspond directly with the Minister to ensure they can be facilitated.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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One state stands apart as a uniquely dangerous nuclear rogue state run by a wanted war criminal facing charges of genocide before the International Court of Justice. It is a state engaged in acts of terror throughout the Middle East, including illegal occupation, settlements, apartheid, annexation, ethnic cleansing, the use of starvation as a weapon of war, the use of aid distribution centres as locations for massacres accounting for 80% of the casualties in the past two months, the bombing of hospitals, refugee camps, residential areas and schools, the targeting of journalists, acts of aggression in contravention of United Nations charters, attacks on neighbours, piracy on the high seas and even shooting at Irish soldiers.

In Gaza alone, 60,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel and more than 130,000 have been wounded in the space of 20 months. Israel is, without question, the principal source of regional instability in the Middle East, yet European Commission President von der Leyen, in her phone chat with the war criminal Netanyahu, signalled that the EU agreed that the state that Israel had just attacked - Iran was the principal source of regional instability. The EU treaties are clear that utterance by the Commission President on foreign and security policy must be consistent with positions agreed by the Foreign Affairs Council, which means the Irish Government. Shockingly, I have not heard the Minister yet say whether von der Leyen acted outside of the EU treaties unlawfully, eroding our sovereignty.

Article 3 of the Treaty on European Union commits the EU to contributing to the strict observation of international law. Central banks are obliged, under Article 127 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, to contribute to achieving such objectives. Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and our Central Bank say it is against EU rules to have regard to international law and that it must continue to facilitate Israeli war bonds, which, in fact, the report last week of the UN special rapporteur, Francesca Albanese, stated had bankrolled the devastation. Her report outlines in detail how corporations are making a killing from the industry of death and occupation, including tourism services such as booking.com and Airbnb. The occupied territories Bill must include services. The EU-Israel association agreement must be suspended, as I have called for in the House for more than a decade, particularly now that Israeli breaches have been confirmed by the EU's own review. The genocide planes flying through Shannon Airport and over our heads, with bombs destined to calculatedly kill innocent Palestinians, must be stopped and inspected. We must do all we can to stop the slaughter. Saoirse don Phalaistín.

Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein)
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Last Sunday in Dublin West, I attended the anniversary of the genocide of 8,372 men and boys, some as young as 12 years of age, who were murdered by Serb forces. This year is the 30th anniversary. I will give a brief synopsis. Between April 1992 and 1993, Srebrenica and villages in the area held by Bosnian Muslims were constantly subjected to Serb military assaults, including artillery attacks, sniper fire and occasional bombing from the air. Each onslaught followed a similar pattern. Serb soldiers and paramilitaries surrounded a Bosnian Muslim village, called on the population to surrender, and then began indiscriminate shelling, shooting and killing. They expelled or killed the population, which offered no significant resistance, and destroyed their homes. Srebrenica was subject to indiscriminate shelling from all directions daily. In particular, Potočari was a daily target because it was a sensitive point.

Why do I mention this? It is because the world said "Never again". So-called upholders of western democracy, the stalwarts of human rights and international law, said "Never again". The hypocrisy of the West is breathtaking and we will have international repercussions for decades to come. Not alone has it allowed this to happen in Gaza, but it has actively participated in these war crimes. This country also passively participates because we allow the American military carte blanche to deliver whatever it wants through Shannon. There has been in Gaza the destruction of homes, hospitals, schools, universities, community facilities, water infrastructure, electricity, sewage facilities and everything that society needs to function. They have been systematically destroyed by the Zionist genocidal apartheid regime. Food and water are now weapons of war. One simple fact is that it could not have done this without Biden and it could not have continued without Trump, alongside the support of Britain, France, Germany and other EU countries. All of them have supplied military equipment, intelligence or flyovers from aeroplanes over Gaza.

Iran is the latest country to be attacked by Israel and the United States. It appears that the rationale was nuclear weapons. Ironically, Israel has somewhere between 40 and 400 nuclear weapons. Nobody knows but nobody cares. Can we imagine the fake horror, hand-wringing and pearl clutching if it were the other way around and Iran had pre-emptively attacked the Zionist regime with missiles because Israel held nuclear missiles? Can we imagine if Iran had targeted Israeli nuclear scientists and killed their wives, children and families? That is what Israel did. Imagine the outcry in the West at this horrific use of collective punishment for the families of those Iranian scientists and military leaders. We do not support that regime, and I certainly do not support the proliferation of nuclear weapons, but the hypocrisy across the world and, particularly, those who claim to hold western values, is astonishing.

The worrying part is that very few people around the world now will listen to the hollow claims about western values, democracy, international law and human rights because they are broken on a daily basis by those same people who proclaim them. The world is a much more dangerous place due to the genocidal acts of this apartheid regime.

Just like with Bosnia, Israeli war criminals, like war criminals, must be brought to justice to ensure there is a long and lasting peaceful transition. The western former colonial governments must end their ongoing military involvements in the Middle East and elsewhere. This is the only way we will have a peaceful and democratic end to these conflicts.

I heard the Minister's statement on Syria. I saw a video clip the other day. Six months ago, the new President of Syria had a $10 million price on his head by the American Government. He is now fêted in the White House. I find this incredible.

Joanna Byrne (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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This week, we read more reports of starving Palestinians in Gaza being fired upon and murdered by the IDF as they made their way to Israeli and US-run aid centres for food. It really is the lowest of the low and I cannot think of another conflict where this has happened on a daily basis, with no consequences for the perpetrators or any real possibility of consequences. Israeli officials sought to shut down the pre-existing aid system run by 15 UN agencies and 200 NGOs and partners, and introduced the US and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. There is nothing humanitarian about it.

It goes against common sense, best practice and the lived experience of genuine humanitarian workers and agencies to set up aid centres away from the population and then to tell civilians to come and get the aid. The same report quoted unnamed IDF soldiers who said they were ordered to shoot at unarmed civilians near aid distribution sites to drive them away or disperse them. The Israeli Government disputes this, but we are in the 21st century and there is ample video evidence and witness testimony to show it is lying about deliberately murdering innocent, starving and desperate civilians on a daily basis.

Israel has weaponised aid. Those words should never go together. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation aid system has been condemned by the UN agencies. UN Secretary General António Guterres branded it inherently unsafe. Even if I welcome that statement, it is a gross understatement. Israel has conducted thousands of attacks on five countries, namely, the occupied Palestinian territory, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iran, in the last two years. It is militarily occupying the sovereign and internationally recognised territory of Syria and Palestine and makes regular incursions into Lebanon, which have also endangered Irish peacekeepers there.

The latest aggression was against Iran. In 2013, a news report in the Times of Israelquoted a study by the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security that stated Iran could have a nuclear bomb in a month. We are hearing the same rhetoric 12 years later from the world's warmongers as justification for Israel and its chief weapons and finance supplier, the US, attacking its neighbours. Iran does not have a nuclear weapon, nor is it close to developing one. If it had one, the US and Israel would not have attacked it as it would have meant mutual destruction. That is a polite way of saying the end of the world. Israel does not confirm it has nuclear weapons, but anyone with a knowledge of history will remember reading about the Apollo affair, where the CIA believed that Israel's first bombs may have been made with the highly enriched uranium stolen in the mid-1960s from the US Navy nuclear fuel plant in Pittsburgh. Great friends they are. Israel has not signed the treaty on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, which is an international treaty. We know Israel does not abide by international treaties or laws unless they are of some benefit to it.

The International Criminal Court has issued warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel, and Yoav Gallant, the former Minister of Defense of Israel. The International Court of Justice has stated Israel should stop settlement activity in the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza and end its illegal occupation of those areas as soon as possible. Scores of UN resolutions have condemned the Israel Government's and the IDF's actions, yet none of these are being acted upon. Do we really want a world where international law is meaningless? We can take a stand in Ireland. We can pass the occupied territories Bill and include goods and services. We can use our voice in the EU to end the EU-Israel association agreement. We raise our voices against an apartheid state engaging in genocide and ethnic cleansing. Our history will judge us all if we continue to remain silent.

Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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What we are witnessing in Palestine is the systemic destruction of a people, their land, homes and children and their very future. Israel has been emboldened by decades of impunity. It is armed by the United States, Germany and Britain. This is not confined to Gaza. In the West Bank, the expulsions, land theft and apartheid continue. In Gaza, Israel has turned an open-air prison into a graveyard of children and humanity. More than 80,000 people are dead. Starvation is being used as a weapon. Hospitals have been bombed to dust. Orphaned children are emaciated and amputated. Mothers are giving birth in tents under fire from one of the world's most sophisticated militaries. A nuclear armed power has been unleashed on a besieged civilian population.

The IDF is not a defence force. It is a terrorist organisation led by war criminals. This is an army that has fired at Irish peacekeepers and endangered our diplomats. Yet it is funded, armed and defended by nations we call partners. The Irish people have not been silent. Their solidarity with Palestine is deep, instinctive and unwavering. Intellectually, we stand for justice and international law, but instinctively, we know what this is. We recognise it. Israel's presence in Palestine is our past - a brutal colonial regime, collective punishment, starvation and brutality. A people should not need to have lived through colonialism to see that it is wrong. All they need is a conscience. Yet some of our EU partners - I use that word with the bitter irony it deserves - provide not just cover but weapons. Germany, a country with which I have deep personal connection, has a particular responsibility. It is failing catastrophically. A country does not atone for its crimes by backing those of another. The past cannot be cleansed with more blood. Guilt cannot be outsourced. Germany must stop. The world is watching. The hypocrisy and moral cowardice of the German Federal Republic must be called out forcefully.

Ireland must do more. The Dáil must enact the occupied territories Bill in full and include services, not just goods. The Government drags its feet, asking whether it is legal to include services. The right question to ask is whether we are in contravention of international law by not including services. Let us talk about the shameful decision by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to block legislation that would have prevented the Central Bank of Ireland from facilitating the sale of Israeli genocide bonds, financial instruments issued specifically to fund the slaughter. That was a choice made in this Chamber and it was the wrong one. There is credible evidence that Irish airspace is being used to transport weapons and military components to Israel. That cannot continue. The Government must act, investigate and put a stop to it.

Our neighbours in Britain, a totally normal island, are at it again. Artists are hounded for chanting "Death to the IDF", while Ministers turn a blind eye to the literal death dealt out by the IDF every single day. We cannot be neutral in the face of genocide. Ireland stands with Palestine. The Government needs to catch up with the people. History will remember the countries that failed to take action. The Government must ensure that this State is not among them.

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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We cannot equivocate on this issue. The volatility in the Middle East has been caused by Israel's ongoing decades-long genocidal campaign in Palestine and by its recent aggression against Iran. Israel is acting with impunity as the world watches on. Nearly 100,000 people are dead, with many more left permanently disabled or as lone survivors. As Mo Chara said, "The Palestinians have nowhere to go. It’s their ... home and they’re bombing them from the skies". Babies and toddlers have had multiple limbs amputated before they have even learned to walk. Orphaned children are calling out for their parents. Toddlers are on the brink of death because they have been systematically starved to death by Israel. Journalists have been burnt alive and medics have been executed in mass graves.

Palestinians are not just being exterminated with US-supplied bombs. The more insidious killer is now disease and starvation. Israel's denial of aid since March has put all of Gaza's 2.1 million people at risk of famine, with more than three quarters of them at catastrophic or emergency levels of food deprivation according to the World Health Organization. The headlines have reported this as an aid blockade, but this is not an aid blockade. Language in this war has been colonised and distorted. Organisations that should know better, and whose judgment may not be as great as we thought it was, such as the BBC, have frequently reported it as a conflict. It is clearly not a two-sided conflict; it is a starvation campaign. Gaza has been reduced to rubble. It is not possible to produce enough food there. A recent analysis found that more than 90% of cattle had died and 70% of land for crops had been destroyed. Following the cut-off of the electricity supply in March, Israel has also turned electricity into a weapon of war.

To make the situation even worse, Israel is ramping up its genocidal campaign by transforming aid distribution sites into killing fields. As my colleagues have already said, Israeli soldiers have admitted this. According to one report, one IDF soldier admitted that commanders ordered troops to shoot at crowds to drive them away or disperse them, even though it was clear that they posed no threat. When asked about it, they say they have had learnings, but they continue the killing. At least 583 Palestinians have been killed at the so-called Gaza Humanitarian Foundation since May. The level of callousness and cruelty on display is unspeakable. Another soldier said "Where I was stationed, between one and five people were killed every day. They’re treated like a hostile force – no crowd-control measures, no tear gas – just live fire ...".

To use Keir Starmer as an example, he is clearly distracting from cutting fuel allowances for older people and his "nation of strangers" speech. He continues to spend his time recommending who should and should not perform at festivals rather than dealing with the ongoing killing campaign by Israel.

While all of this is going on, other countries such as the US and Germany turn a blind eye. Speaking out about dead Palestinian babies can land a person in prison or on a deportation list.

I want to raise the case of Jordan Devlin who is an Irish passport holder. He has been held in Wormwood Scrubs Prison since August of last year. He is one of the Filton 18 activists, along with others. His father has said that his conscience could not stop him. They are charged with offences, including violent disorder and trespass that are not terrorist offences and being held on remand for more than the necessary time because the authorities are using counter-terror legislation to hold them. Jordan's trial will not be until later this year, in November, but some of his co-accused are not going to have trial dates until 2026. These are all people with no previous convictions. Some have offered bail of up to £50,000 and they have been refused. All 18 of them are being held in custody. I ask the Government to take up the case of Jordan Devlin and his co-accused with the British Government at their next meeting. Arguing that international human rights law should be respected can put a person at risk.

Israel is a rogue state. I ask the Government to use its powers to stop Israeli war planes flying through our airspace and enact the war bonds legislation and occupied territories Bill to include goods and services.

Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal East, Labour)
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Given the slaughter, the genocide and the last 20 months of horror, to wake up to the news, as we did this morning, that perhaps there will be a 60-day ceasefire will be welcomed by most people. Of course we will welcome it if it happens but for a number of reasons it is hard to have confidence in a ceasefire in this conflict. One reason is that the person who announced it this morning, Donald Trump, has a poor record in foreign policy. I will come back to that a couple of times.

Let us consider the comments and reaction of Israel to this announcement. They are highly qualified. Is this actually going to happen? If there is to be a ceasefire, what will happen in that space? Will there be a ceasefire with negotiations to take place for a longer term ceasefire and proper peacebuilding? Are we going to see moves towards a two-state solution or recognition of the Palestinian State, as Ireland has done, and for that to become real? That sounds fantastical in the current context.

What will happen in relation to aid? The naming of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is almost to troll the people of Gaza and the rest of the world. It is anything but a humanitarian foundation. It is a new departure in the provision of so-called aid. The weaponisation of aid to Gaza by Israel and the United States has been one of the foulest elements of this crisis. If there is to be a ceasefire, will we see the re-establishment of the traditional aid organisations? Will UNRWA be allowed to do its work again? Will the World Food Programme and other UN agencies and NGOs be able to go in and deliver aid and services as they have done for decades in Gaza? It would seem not, or at least it is unclear.

What we do know is that since March and the ending of aid into Gaza by Israel, we have seen a degree of psychopathy that is seldom seen in conflicts throughout history. It is the slaughter and murder of civilians while they are queuing for the meagre amounts of aid, food and medicines that are being offered. It is absolutely abhorrent. When we felt we could not be shocked any more, it was, I believe, the slaughter, murder and shooting of people queuing for aid that was key in turning the international mood music against Israel. It has not done enough. We have not seen real action from the big powers such as the United States or from the United Kingdom or Germany, the countries that are arming, and have been arming, the Israel Defense Forces, IDF, during this war and for decades previously. We have seen some shifts in those countries and Israel may have felt that. Perhaps this is what caused Israel to become concerned again about the Iranian nuclear programme as a way of trying to convince its traditional allies that Israel is somehow on the side of good, democracy and righteousness in the Middle East. Nothing could be further from the truth. What we know is that 50,000 Palestinians have been killed by the IDF and thousands more continue to be starved by the Israeli blockade.

We must always be clear that Israel has committed a genocide on the people of Gaza. I welcome that the Tánaiste has used that language consistently, including in his statement today, that Israel has committed a genocide. When we use that language the people and the regime that commit genocide must face consequences down the line. Cities in Gaza have been flattened, hospitals and schools targeted and destroyed and access to food, water and medical supplies cut off. It is not just access. The infrastructure to deliver water has been destroyed, as we in the foreign affairs committee were briefed on a couple of weeks ago. It will take many years to rebuild that. Ireland helped with funding and expertise to build that infrastructure in Gaza over the last number of years. This is another element of Ireland's commitment to the Palestinian people and the people of Gaza, of which we are proud, that is being destroyed by the bombs of Israel.

The coverage of Gaza and the war in Gaza has been subject to much criticism. I do not necessarily agree with all the criticism that has been heaped on various news organisations in this respect. I have, however, been disquieted by what has happened to the arts community, including Kneecap and Bob Vylan and what happened at Glastonbury. Moving to try to silence artists and how they express themselves, whatever our own opinions may be and whether or not we agree with what they say, is a dangerous space to be in. As Kneecap said, this is not the issue. They are just giving voice - one voice, their voice - to the suffering of the people of Gaza and if media and journalistic bodies continue down the route of following these artists around and picking apart every little thing they say or do, it will result in less coverage being applied to the conflict, war and genocide in Gaza. While this is happening, we are not focusing on the 30 people in Gaza that were killed in a café by Israel or the more than 400 people murdered in cold blood queuing for aid in the last weeks. Our focus needs to be absolutely steadfast. The people of Gaza and the Palestinians have faced unending devastation from the Israeli Government.

It is another disgrace that Israel and the United States have created their own private body to control aid distribution in Gaza. I remember studying the proliferation of private security and military companies. The Iraq war was when we had an explosion in the number of these private security companies, which emerged as a big economy in the 1990s. Obviously they have existed for centuries. The Iraq war was when the proliferation of these companies exploded. What has changed now is that these private security companies have become systemic in the provision of aid. This is a departure that none of us ever contemplated. None of us who study private security companies and their role in active warfare and logistical support ever contemplated that these companies would, in such a big way, replace the United Nations, the World Food Programme and other trusted aid agencies and multilateral organisations that provide aid to people. It will be a hugely concerning and worrying departure if this template is used for any future conflicts. We will have the weaponisation of medicines, basic foodstuffs and aid. We in Ireland hold aid very dear. I am proud of the fact that Ireland is one of the few countries that have not cut aid.

Many European countries have cut aid or have put increased restrictions on aid, or in the case of the United States, have stopped aid. Ireland has increased aid, which we, the Irish people, are very proud of. The fundamental principle of humanitarian aid is that it must be neutral, impartial and based solely on need. International humanitarian law mandates unfettered access to civilians in conflict zones. Israel is stopping this unfettered access. Israel is conducting a siege and a bombing campaign, backed by the United States, which has made unfettered access impossible. Nowhere is the failure of the IDF-controlled aid system more stark than in the ongoing killing of civilians. Reading about the slaughter taking place in the queues for aid is something that I cannot get out of my head. I do not think many of us can. We have seen this throughout history, where the most vulnerable are lined up in condensed settings, set upon by psychopaths, and killed in cold blood. Israel must never be allowed to forget this and the country must be brought to justice for it.

What we have seen in Gaza is not a humanitarian response; it is an illusion of one. We hear from IDF spokespersons that the IDF does not target civilians, but we know that it does. We hear that Israel provides aid to the people of Gaza, but we know that it does not. Anyone listening to "Morning Ireland" this morning would have heard exactly the meagre rations people have to try to eke out survival in Gaza.

Israel has spread complete chaos in the Middle East in the past 20 months. The renewed conflict with Iran is just the latest example of a state that is completely out of control. To be clear, there is no good guy or bad guy when it comes to Iran and Israel, but Israel did start by launching missiles into Iran, even though all intelligence reports indicated that Iran was still some years away from developing a nuclear weapons programme. We know that Iran has been less than transparent about its nuclear weapons programme. It is clear to me that Iran is seeking to develop a nuclear weapon. We know that there was a successful plan, orchestrated by the former US President, Barack Obama. This was the joint comprehensive plan of action between Iran, China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union. It was successful between 2015 and 2018 in getting rid of all the medium-enriched uranium in Iran and reducing the low-enriched uranium to negligible amounts. Then, in 2018, in what is the greatest foreign policy blunder of the past ten years, President Donald Trump, in his first term, abandoned the plan. This allowed Iran to renew its nuclear programme. Iran has remained inside the nuclear non-proliferation treaty regime, albeit not totally transparently and not always allowing weapons inspectors in. It has been a contentious relationship over many years but at least the country is in the regime. Israel is not in the nuclear non-proliferation treaty regime. The country has had nuclear weapons since the 1960s and is outside any weapons inspection programme. It acts as a law unto itself, not just regarding nuclear weapons, but in all aspects of international policy and relations.

The successful agreement with Iran allowed the IAEA huge amounts of access to ensure Iran was co-operating. This has now ended and now we hear that Iran will not be co-operating with the IAEA. This is hugely disappointing and hugely concerning for the long-term stability of the Middle East. We also hear from leaked intelligence reports that the damage to Iran's nuclear facilities was not as complete as President Trump would like us to believe. The probability of further conflict, instability, missiles and death and destruction in the medium to long term is quite likely.

We have huge concerns about a ceasefire in Gaza, because we have no commitments that real aid will be delivered by trusted organisations that know how to deliver it. We are not seeing any plans for a high-level recommitment to a long-term peace strategy for Palestine and a road to statehood for the Palestinian people. This is Irish foreign policy and the belief of the Irish people. I think it is the belief of the large majority of people in Europe, even if many of our partner governments in the European Union have been too staunchly supportive of Israel.

When it comes to nuclear disarmament, Ireland has proud role in promoting it. Ireland was the first signatory to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and it can continue to play a role in striving towards a nuclear-weapon free world. The instability in the Middle East has many causes but the biggest impediment is the State of Israel. It operates outside so many international conventions, treaties and norms. It is inflicting a continuous genocide on the people of Gaza. It kills in cold blood Gazans who are queueing for aid. It launches unprovoked attacks on states such as Iran, and the Iranians are no angels either. I am sure that Iran will continue to fund and arm its proxies, Hezbollah, the Houthis and Hamas.

While I welcome the opportunity to speak on this topic, it is utterly depressing that we, here on the western edge of Europe, remain commentators on what is the biggest tragedy on the globe at the moment, namely, the regional conflict in the Middle East. This is being most acutely felt by the civilians of Gaza, who face death, slaughter and genocide on a daily basis. It must end. There needs to be a road to a true, viable, Palestinian state and long-term sanctions need to be imposed on the State of Israel. It cannot be allowed to continue to act outside of international norms.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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Of all the subjects and all the issues that we talk about here, when we see the horrific videos and images of people, and children in particular, starving and the inhumanity and the senselessness of it all, it really would make one think that man's inhumanity to man is beyond belief. We are all rightly outraged by what is going on. That being said, Ireland is a leader in the world on Palestine. The Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and the Government have been very strong on this issue. I do not like to see divisiveness in this House when it comes to an issue as serious as this. Everybody has very good intentions, but sometimes the divisiveness by the Opposition is unhelpful to what we are all trying to achieve. At the end of the day, we all want what is best for the people who are oppressed and who are being so hard done by and whose lives are being torturously affected by the horrible events of the last months and years.

I have listened to the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach speak very strongly on this issue. We are all trying to achieve the same thing, at the end of the day. We were among the first in recognising the Palestinian state. Enacting the occupied territories Bill has been a major concern for the Government. It has been treated with urgency and importance, but with something as important as this, it has to be got right. Imposing sanctions on trade and goods from Israel are issues we are all of the one word on. It is not than any of us are disagreeing with each other fundamentally on what we want to do. I recognise and appreciate the concerns of each individual and each party in this House. Historically, we have been a very strong advocate and we have placed a strong emphasis on standing with Palestine, by being the first EU member to call for Palestinian statehood. Ireland and Spain have both called for a review of the trade relations with Israel.

When we are talking about the politics of this, we cannot ever forget that every minute, every hour and every day, torture and other awful things are happening there. We think back on what happened during the two world wars. We speak historically about those and how horrible they were and we saw what happened to the Jews in the concentration camps and we watch films and read books about it.

We just have to wake up and think, my goodness, in the modern world today we are living through and witnessing the same thing happening again. We cannot say it is worse or anything like that, but it is the same thing affecting innocent lives - people and families, who have done nothing wrong. How could any child be guilty of doing anything wrong, yet their lives are being taken? The most basic necessities are being denied to them: clean water, shelter - a place to call home with heat, comfort and the basic needs for life. All of those bare necessities are being taken away.

Ireland is doing its part every day but we must question what other larger, stronger superpowers are doing, or should I say maybe what they are not doing. There should be political outrage from everybody in today's world, no matter what side they are on, no matter who they represent or what their party is - the basic inhumanity of this is so outrageous that we should all be going out through the eye of a needle and going in the same direction at the same time. We should all be saying the same thing: this is wrong. We must go down every avenue and do everything that can be done to stop it, and to provide humanitarian assistance in every way that we can. The EU, America and other places all have to work together.

We should all support what the Irish Government, the Tánaiste and the Taoiseach have been doing. While we cannot agree on everything, at the same time we want to travel on the same road, that is, the road of peace.

When I look at what happened in Ireland, I see the way everybody came together - from parties, religious people and non-religious people. Everybody played their role, no matter who they were, be it Sinn Féin, Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael or religious people. Everybody worked together because we wanted to bring peace to the island of Ireland. That was the result. Thankfully, every day in the North of Ireland people are going about their work. Families are no longer losing their loved ones. On this very small island we had a situation where we would wake up in the morning and hear that a bomb had gone off on whatever side and innocent people were killed. Now, we must use the bit of influence we have and the bit of say that we have. We must stand up and be counted. We must put our shoulder to the wheel on this most serious issue at a most serious time in everybody's life. We must think of the innocent people and what we should do, and can do to support them.

Divisiveness in this House on the issue is wrong. We should all be singing off the same hymn sheet and say that we want to help in every way we can.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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There were two speakers in that slot. One speaker indicated. With the consent of the House I will let that speaker come in later. We will preserve the seven and a half minutes that has not been used. Rachaidh mé ar ais arís go dtí Sinn Féin. Glaoim an Teachta Denise Mitchell.

Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein)
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When it comes to the Middle East, we cannot allow a nuclear-armed rogue state to spread chaos throughout the region. That is why Israel has to be stopped.

Chants from a music festival are not the story, the daily mass murder of civilians by Israel is the story. Since Tuesday morning, more than 100 Palestinians have been murdered by Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip. Yesterday, Israel bombed a café that it knew was being used by journalists – killing 24 people. This morning, Israel continues to lure starving men, women and children to their so-called aid points, where Israeli troops and mercenaries are gunning them down.

We saw the Israelis force doctors and patients out of a hospital in north Gaza at gunpoint, leaving premature babies to die alone in the intensive care ward. They murdered ambulance staff and medics and buried them in a mass grave. They even went so far as to crush the ambulances and to bury them too, to hide their crime.

This is a genocidal regime that is out of control. Its leader is a fugitive. He is wanted by the International Criminal Court on war crime charges. Israel holds thousands of hostages. They are not prisoners because they have never been charged or convicted of any wrongdoing. It is a regime that has attacked and bombed four neighbouring countries since the start of this year.

The cowardice of many western governments to hold this lunatic state to account is making the world a more dangerous place for everybody. Why would anybody bother to adhere to international law when it is clear that it does not apply to countries that have the superpowers backing them up?

Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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I was lucky enough to be in Roe River Books in Dundalk on Friday night. If it were not for the subject matter, I would say Fintan Drury provided a great show. He was there to talk about his new book, Catastrophe - Nakba II. It starts with a quote from Benjamin Netanyahu on 29 December 2022: "The Jewish people have an exclusive and unquestionable right to all areas of the land of Israel ... Galilee, the Negev, Golan, Judea and Samaria."

We should not be surprised by what we have seen. While it depends on what figure we look at - whether it is 58,400, as it was about a week ago, or if we are now talking about something far closer to 60,000 - the figure is widely contested, but we know that the death toll is astronomical in the modern age. We all believed that things like this could not happen. Some people even bought into the idea that Israel sold itself as the friend of the West in the Middle East.

In fairness, the author finished the book with an acknowledgement:

My hope is that Catastrophe – Nakba II will be a credible and readable account of Israel's determination to wipe Palestine from the map and how it was sponsored in that endeavour by powerful nations in the West.

I do not have a lot of time to deal with the next point. Omar Khalil Al-Balawi was a teacher who was killed in northern Gaza by an Israeli drone on 7 October 2024. He wrote:

After a year of this ongoing crisis, we ask: Who is listening to our plight? Who cares enough to intervene? Who will stop this war and prevent further loss of life? Who will hold Israel accountable for these actions? Who will ensure our survival in the midst of this catastrophe? Despite everything, we remain resolute. As the indigenous people of this land, we will stay. This is our home – Palestine. WE WILL NOT LEAVE!

That is the disaster that they face but it is also the hope. That is why we welcome what this Government has done in recognising the State of Palestine. We also welcome that we are on the right side of the argument in regard to the EU-Israel association agreement, but we need to see movement. The occupied territories Bill must be delivered with services. We must ensure that we no longer allow the Central Bank to facilitate Israeli war bonds. We must ensure that we are that voice, that we are part of that voice, and that we provide a voice to others so that the Palestinian people know that people are with them but, beyond that, that Israel is held to account.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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Gabhaim buíochas.

Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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What we are talking about here is very small, but we need delivery.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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I thank the Deputy.

Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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It might need to be small before we see greater because we have seen failure from Britain, America, Germany and many others.

Sinéad Gibney (Dublin Rathdown, Social Democrats)
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I welcome the opportunity to speak to the incredibly problematic situation in the Middle East. Over the past 18 months, violence has erupted across the Middle East. However, today I wish to speak about the Middle East before October 2023 - the violence at the hands of Israeli colonists in occupied Palestine; the systematic functioning of Israeli apartheid; and how Palestinians are constantly facing state-sanctioned violence.

We also need to consider the impact of the carte blanchewhich has been given to Israel in its acts of military aggression across the region.

In 1948, Palestine was partitioned by the UN. This plan gave Israelis, who made up less than 30% of the population, more than half of the land of Palestine. This injustice led to the first Arab-Israeli war. During this period mass expulsions of Palestinians were taking place at the hands of terror organisations such as the Haganah and the Irgun whose members formed the new IDF. This event is known as the Nakba as hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were expelled from their land and those who chose to stay were murdered. The Nakba, meaning the catastrophe, was the destruction of Palestine upon which Israel was founded. More than 500 Palestinian villages were destroyed as people fled to refugee camps - some now famous, such as Jabalia refugee camp in Gaza, which has since been levelled and its residents killed, missing or ethnically cleansed.

When we discuss the current ethnic cleansing of Palestine and the genocide in Gaza, we must remember the precursors to current events. These actions have been done in the name of an ancestral claim to the land of Palestine as a 2,000-year-old promise. What about the Palestinians who lived there 70 years ago? We must show that human rights and the enforcement of the rules-based international order are felt by real people and are not simply concepts for discussion. We must ensure that nations who perpetrate, support or are silent in the face of genocide face consequences for their complicity.

In Israel as well as occupied Palestine we see time and again the use of an apartheid system to ensure Israeli domination over Palestinians. In Israel, any Jewish person can immigrate to Israel and claim citizenship immediately, while Palestinians are refused the right to return to their family homes. Israeli citizenship law places far more restrictions on Arabs in obtaining Israeli citizenship. People from the vast majority of the Middle East such as Iraq, Yemen and the occupied territories are barred from gaining Israeli citizenship.

The education system in Israel is split between Jewish, Jewish secular and Arab schools. Arab schools are systematically underfunded. Palestinians in Israel cannot leave even if they do not have citizenship as they can be barred from ever returning. Palestinians in the occupied territories may not drive or walk on certain roads and they have different coloured registration plates on vehicles. Many Palestinian political parties have been banned as they refuse to recognise Israel as a Jewish state. In 2018, the Knessett passed the Jewish State Act, which allows for the creation of segregated spaces. This Act results in legal segregation which we all witnessed in apartheid South Africa. The legal status of Palestinians is determined purely on where they were born. In Acre in Israel they must be tried in a civilian court. In Ramallah in occupied Palestine they can be tried in a military court with no legal team to defend them or a translator. Many human rights and civil liberties advocacy groups describe this as a fundamental aspect of Israeli apartheid.

The constant and systematic use of violence to maintain Jewish supremacy has created an environment of militarism which has spilled out across the region. Most recently this has been targeted at Iran on a spurious justification of a pre-emptive defensive strike. We must be clear that the Iranian regime is oppressive. However, people cannot be bombed into freedom. Nor can liberty be enforced through the use of arms.

The dangerous action of Israel and its ally, the United States, to bomb Iran has made the Cold War of the Middle East searingly hot. The choice to bomb nuclear facilities was a failed mission, but the ecological and human cost of this operation had it been successful would have been utterly catastrophic. This jingoistic mindset is a relic of the past and yet we see the Trump and Netanyahu Administrations use military action to bolster their domestic popularity.

Again, we should remember how the Iranian Ayatollahs gained power. It was after a puppet regime was installed by the US and Britain. This brutal regime was deeply unpopular and collapsed in the face of such discontent. The puppet regime led by Mohammad Reza Shah was installed after the democratically-elected leader of Iran, Mohammad Mossadegh, attempted to form a sovereign-wealth fund by nationalising Iranian oil production. We must call out the human rights abuses on all sides of the current conflict and recognise that only through dialogue and multilateralism can we secure peace for the people of the region who have suffered through bombardment due to the political choices of their governments.

The European Union's response to this crisis has been completely lacking. Senior members of the European Commission recently declared sympathy with Israel despite the fact it had chosen to bomb Iran seemingly out of the blue. Ireland has a special status. As a member state of the European Union which has uniquely experienced a great deal of violence at the hands of a foreign power in our history, we have a corresponding duty to stand up for people who face such violence and war. A report published just this week by Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation in Palestine explicitly states:

...where corporate entities continue their activities and relationships with Israel, with its economy, military and public and private sectors connected to the occupied Palestinian territory, they may be found to have knowingly contributed to

a. violation of the Palestinian right to self-determination

b. annexation of Palestinian territory, maintenance of an unlawful occupation and therefore the crime of aggression and associated human rights violations and

c. crimes of apartheid and genocide.

The Minister of State spoke earlier about divisiveness in this House and that we should all be singing off the same hymn sheet. The difficulty I have with that sentiment is that those in government have the power to take the actions we need to see. Those options are to pass the occupied territories Bill in full, stop the facilitation of Israeli genocide bombs, end the endorsement of the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism, sanction Israel and use our diplomatic power as a member state at the EU level to end the EU-Israel association agreement and to introduce sanctions at the same level as Russia and to push for EU-level recognition of Palestinian statehood. These are not moral choices anymore; they are also legal necessities. The people of Iran and Palestine have been targeted with a militarist agenda which has only increased the instability of the entire Middle East region. We must stand against military unilateralism no matter the perpetrator and end this onslaught of violence.

Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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Every day without fail when we turn on our televisions or open our social media accounts, we are met by death on a horrific industrial scale, inflicted by the IDF on the people of Gaza, including on children, healthcare workers and UN workers. There is no line it has not crossed or hospital it has not bombed. The Irish State has been stronger than most. It has verbalised our horror, tried to enact change at an EU level - only recently but it is no less welcome - and now moving towards enacting some parts of the occupied territories Bill, although we will push for this State to go further. Ireland’s contribution has been good but we can do much better. However, we have not been passive observers. That is absolutely fair and I want to acknowledge it. However, that does not mean we have done all in our power to prevent what we and the Government have now referred to as a genocide.

The obligations that come with the recognition of genocide are not just to call it out, but to do everything within one's power to prevent it. There are two very significant ways in which the Government and Irish State are failing in those most serious of obligations. Shannon Airport has become a key node in the transit of US military planes. These carry munitions, personnel and equipment, many of which ends up in Israeli hands to be used more broadly in bombing campaigns across the Middle East. That is not speculation or rhetoric in Parliament; it is documented by Shannonwatch and it is visible in flight logs and on the tarmac. The Government said it does not know for sure what is on those planes and cannot prove direct delivery of arms to Israel but the reality is we refuse to inspect them. We have abdicated any serious oversight and in doing so allowed our neutrality to be quietly eroded. We have allowed Shannon Airport to be turned into what is essentially a military backdoor for the United States. In recent months, people throughout my own party and the Chamber have raised this issue.

My colleague in the Seanad, Senator Patricia Stephenson, has raised issues formally and I wish to speak to some of those. Senator Stephenson wrote to OLAF, the EU's anti-fraud body, to raise concerns that Ireland is potentially facilitating VAT fraud and violating EU customs rules by not inspecting private aircraft and military-linked flights refuelling at Shannon Airport. That letter is now on record and OLAF has been notified. Senator Stephenson wrote to the Attorney General, the Taoiseach and the Minister for Finance and at this point we have received silence. Let me be clear that it is not about the VAT or breaches of customs regulations but it is about trying to find an angle by which this State can do the right thing. Yet, we have received silence.

Ireland's complicity in what is happening in Gaza does not stop at Shannon. We are facilitating the approval of Israeli state bonds through the Central Bank, which raise money for the Israeli state. That is the same state that is currently under investigation for genocide by the International Court of Justice and we have now aligned ourselves to that case. In doing so, we are providing a financial pipeline for EU-wide legitimacy.

The question is not just whether we are horrified. It is whether we are serious because we have options. We could suspend military overflight and refuelling permissions as Costa Rica and other states have done. We could inspect aircraft at Shannon. We could block approval of sovereign bonds of states that are under investigation for the gravest of crimes. The State has told us it does not have a role so it is incumbent on us now to determine that through the courts and we are hell-bent on doing so because, when a genocide is happening, we are obligated to do everything in our power to stop it. Our history demands that of us.

Rory Hearne (Dublin North-West, Social Democrats)
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I echo my colleagues' sentiments and statements on this. The people of Gaza do not have time left for this Government's dithering and delaying on the implementation of the occupied territories Bill. Seventeen thousand children have been murdered in Gaza by the Israeli genocidal regime. Right now, millions of people in Gaza are being starved to death. They are being shot and murdered while trying desperately to reach food to feed their families. Each day that passes while Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael drag their feet on implementing the occupied territories Bill is another day of lost opportunity for Ireland to be a global leader for humanity by sanctioning Israel. Each day the Government makes more excuses, waters down the Bill and fails to implement it in full, including services, is another day lost when Ireland could be taking real action.

Real action would be passing the occupied territories Bill in full. This would send a strong clear message to Israel. It is a message it has not heard, that there are consequences for the war crimes and the genocidal hell it is unleashing on the people of Gaza. This is the problem. We fail to see countries having the courage to stand up to Israel and it is a shame and a stain on our collective humanity that Israel has not been sanctioned by any European country for its mass murder of women and children in Gaza. What a collective failure of the European project of peace and solidarity.

Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael committed in their programme for Government 160 days ago to progress legislation on the occupied Palestinian territories. That is 160 opportunities they have had to implement the Bill and they have not done so. This is despite the people of Ireland giving them a clear message in the election and every day outside the Dáil and on our streets that they want Ireland to stand up for peace and humanity by sanctioning Israel. We cannot wait for our European partners in this. We must stand up now for the people of Gaza. Ireland must be courageous and sanction Netanyahu's murderous, genocidal regime. Ireland must give hope to the idea of universal human rights, that every person on this planet has an equal right to a dignified life. Palestinians, the people of Gaza have as equal a right to life and dignity as everyone else on this planet.

What have the people of Ireland made clear? When asked whether Israel's ongoing military action in Gaza amounts to genocide, 86% of people polled said "Yes". When asked whether the EU should suspend trade with Israel, 76% of Irish people polled said "Yes". When asked whether the occupied territories Bill should be passed, 74% of those polled said "Yes". The Government's mandate is there and this is a critical juncture in our international humanity's history. The Government needs to pass the Bill before the summer recess. The latest United Nations report names hundreds of corporations, banks, technology firms, universities, pension funds and charities that are profiting from the Israeli occupation and genocide. The report details how Israel's economy has transformed from an economy of settler occupation to an economy of genocide. Ireland can no longer participate, engage with, legitimise or fund this economy. It is time to pass the occupied territories Bill in full.

Martin Daly (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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The ongoing conflict in Gaza risks igniting a much wider regional war, an outcome that would be profoundly tragic and destabilising. Gaza remains an open wound festering and poisoning relations, not just between Israel and Palestine, but also between Israel and much of the international community.

Ireland has made the situation in the Middle East a central foreign policy priority and we remain firmly committed to advocating for a sustainable peace through the realisation of a two-state solution. That a population can be bombed or starved into peace is both morally indefensible and practically impossible. It entrenches a deep collective memory of trauma and persecution among the Palestinian people, which will guarantee that the cycle of violence continues. We in Ireland understand from our history that violence begets violence. When a population is brutalised, the next generation inherits a legacy of grievance and defiance.

Let me be clear that the attacks on 7 October were abhorrent but the Israeli military response has been grossly disproportionate and counter-productive. It has not secured the release of hostages. It has not brought long-term security to Israel. Instead, it has deepened the suffering, radicalised a new generation and pushed peace further out of reach. Israel's ongoing operations in Gaza and the West Bank appear to be a systematic rejection of the two-state solution.

In Gaza, relentless bombing, forced displacement and starvation are creating a humanitarian catastrophe. Conditions are now both physically uninhabitable and psychologically unbearable. In the West Bank, government-sanctioned illegal settlement expansion further undermines the viability of any future Palestinian state. This cannot be justified on security grounds. It appears to be ideological. A war is being prosecuted against a largely defenceless population. More than 60,000 people have been killed, including a shocking proportion of women and children. Civilian infrastructure such as schools, hospitals and UN premises have been repeatedly targeted. A recent Israeli strike on a seafront café which served as one of the only public Wi-Fi hubs left in Gaza killed 20 people. It was one of the last functional windows for local journalists to report on the crisis. Foreign press access to Gaza remains banned. When witnesses are silenced, truth is removed.

The ceasefire and hostage deal brokered in January offered a fragile, but real, hope to both Israelis and Palestinians and I am glad to hear the Government is calling on all parties to return to serious talks to secure a comprehensive agreement. The United States has now reported that Israel has agreed in principle to a 60-day ceasefire. President Trump has urged Hamas to accept it, but detail remains uncertain and Hamas has yet to respond, although it has indicated willingness to free hostages under the right terms. For its part, Israel has previously insisted that the war will not end unless Hamas is dismantled. These positions must be reconciled if peace is to have any chance. I urge Hamas to respond constructively. Lives depend upon it. A ceasefire is not a surrender. It is a lifeline. It is also an obligation under international humanitarian law when civilians are suffering on this scale.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza is beyond desperate. The Red Cross has warned that Gaza's remaining public hospitals are either shut or gutted after months of hostilities and supply shortages. UN and other humanitarian workers must be protected at all times as they carry out their life-saving work. Civilian infrastructure, including schools, medical facilities and UN premises, must never be military targets. There must be an immediate large-scale resumption of humanitarian aid. The trickle of aid currently getting in is a drop in the ocean. People are walking tens of kilometres in search of food, only to be met with gunfire. Israeli soldiers quoted in a Jewish newspaper, Haaretz, claimed they were ordered to fire on aid seekers even when they posed no threat. The IDF denies this but the allegations are credible and deeply concerning.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which was hastily created to replace the respected UNRWA, has failed. More than 170 NGOs have called for it to be dismantled. It lacks the experience, transparency and infrastructure to deliver aid safely. The death toll from Israeli attacks at Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, GHF, distribution sites now surpasses 500 people. These were innocent people queueing for food. They died not in battle, but in desperation. I support international calls to dismantle the GHF and reinstate reliable humanitarian channels like UNRWA. We must have experienced, effective, secure infrastructure to deliver aid.

I am proud of the stance Ireland has taken. Since January 2023, we have provided core funding UNRWA. We formally recognised the State of Palestine on 28 May 2024. We have evacuated sick children and families to Ireland for medical treatment. We have deployed significant diplomatic resources to push for peace and the restoration of international law.

We will soon introduce legislation under the occupied territories Bill reflecting our obligations under international law.

This crisis has been further complicated by the escalating tension and war between Israel and Iran. I fully support the Government's view, and that of the EU, that Iran must not develop nuclear weapons but this must be achieved through negotiation and not confrontation. Iran asserts the right to peaceful nuclear energy. Israel has a right to security. They are not mutually exclusive. I deplore the repressive regime in Iran and its abuse of human rights, particularly against women, but we must not let this distract from the catastrophe in Gaza.

Prime Minister Netanyahu has warned for over 30 years that Iran is on the brink of developing a nuclear weapon, yet that threat has never materialised. We must be cautious of rhetoric that fuels endless war. It would be deeply regrettable if the Israeli Prime Minister's motive in prolonging hostilities in Gaza and Iran was contrived to avoid legal prosecution in Israel.

I urge the United States to adopt a more assertive role, not just in brokering a ceasefire, but in guaranteeing it. The world cannot continue to look away. The suffering of Gaza's civilians, the ongoing displacement and the deliberate targeting of essential services all point to a man-made disaster, a disaster that in the eyes of many, including our Taoiseach's and mine, meets the definition of genocide. Ireland's voice alone will not end this war. We are a small country but we speak with moral clarity, guided by our history, values and commitment to international law. I stand by those calling for peace, justice and the protection of innocent lives.

Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Like many colleagues in the House, I rise today with a heavy heart. The situation in the Middle East, particularly in Gaza and the West Bank, is an ongoing humanitarian disaster that demands our attention, our compassion and, critically, our action. Let me begin by recalling the horrific events of 7 October, the appalling attacks and murders of innocent people. I reiterate what the Taoiseach and Tánaiste have said: all hostages must be released unconditionally and without delay. Their prolonged captivity serves only to deepen suffering and delay peace but we must also recognise what has followed in the months since.

The military response in Gaza has gone far beyond self-defence. What we are witnessing now, day after day, is the collective punishment of a civilian population. It is a breach of international humanitarian law and is causing immeasurable suffering. Over 500 people have been killed while trying to access food. Hospitals and UN facilities have been bombed and children are starving. The Red Cross and Médecins sans Frontières speak of total collapse. The UN has described the situation as “weaponised hunger”. Pope Leo XIV echoed this, decrying the “weaponisation of food” in our time, describing it as a moral outrage and a betrayal of basic human decency.

I welcome the clear stance taken by the Government in calling for full and unimpeded humanitarian access. The Tánaiste has rightly insisted that the role of UN agencies, including UNRWA, must be protected and respected. This is not just a humanitarian issue; it is a test of whether international law means anything.

I am proud that Ireland is one of the few countries to have backed up our words with concrete action. Since January 2023, we have provided over €88 million in support to the Palestinian people, including core funding to UNRWA and emergency evacuations of sick children from Gaza for care in Irish hospitals. This is solidarity in action. I also strongly support the Government’s decision on the recognition of the Palestinian state in May. Recognition matters. It reaffirms our belief that peace must be built on the equal dignity of both peoples. However, recognition is not enough on its own. It must be part of a broader, co-ordinated effort to revive and implement the two-state solution, a vision that is being eroded every day by the current reality on the ground.

Let us be honest: the long-term viability of a two-state solution is hanging by a thread. The continued expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank, the deepening occupation and the violent displacement of communities are not just violations of international law. They are actions that make a future Palestinian state less and less feasible. The recent announcement by the Israeli Government of 22 new settlements in the West Bank is particularly alarming, and we are now seeing the single longest Israeli military operation in the West Bank in two decades. Combined with record levels of settler violence and movement restrictions, it is hard to avoid the conclusion that facts are being created on the ground to block any return to meaningful negotiations.

That is why I support the Government’s decision to advance the Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory (prohibition of importation of goods) Bill. This is not about boycotts; it is about the alignment of our trade policy with international law. The ICJ’s advisory opinion has made it clear: states have a duty not to aid or recognise illegal situations. The Bill gives that principle legal force. It is modest, practical and principled, and I hope colleagues from across the House will support it as it proceeds through the pre-legislative scrutiny stage.

We are not acting alone. Many other EU states share Ireland’s view that the EU’s trade relationship with Israel must be consistent with its own humanitarian rights commitment. I commend the Tánaiste and his counterparts who wrote to the High Representative calling for a full review of the EU-Israel association agreement under Article 2. That review is now under way and I hope it leads to real accountability.

Ireland’s role in the world has always been rooted in our own experience. We know what conflict looks like and we know how difficult peace can be. We also know that it is possible, if people are willing to engage, to compromise and to put human lives above political gain. There is no military solution to this conflict. Only a negotiated settlement can deliver peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike. That settlement must be based on a two-state solution, with full respect for international law and the right of both peoples to live in dignity and security.

Until that happens, as violence continues, suffering will deepen and the prospect of peace will fade further. That is why we in this House and those across the EU and the international community must keep the pressure on for an immediate ceasefire, the release of hostages, full humanitarian access and a return to diplomacy. The stakes and the continued impact on civilians could not be higher. The time to act is now.

Naoise Ó Cearúil (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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The situation in the Middle East, specifically in Gaza and across the occupied Palestinian territories, is beyond tragic; it is catastrophic. Ireland must speak with moral clarity and courage. As I have said before, and as many people in this House have said, what is happening is clearly genocide.

Ireland has long supported the two-state solution and advocated for peace but peace without justice is not peace at all. What we are witnessing today is the collapse of humanitarian protections. Gaza has become a place where children go hungry, hospitals are bombed and families are being deliberately targeted and murdered. This cannot go unchallenged.

More than 400 people have been killed and over 3,000 injured while trying to access food at militarised distribution centres. Aid is barely trickling in. The UN has rightly called it a teaspoon of aid where a flood is needed. The decision by Israel to take control of humanitarian aid through private contractors is weaponised hunger. We also cannot ignore the findings from the EU review of the EU-Israel association agreement. The conclusion is clear: Israel is in breach of its human rights obligations under Article 2. We now need to act on that. The occupied territories Bill is a welcome step forward but if we are to make real progress and meaningful differences, the suspension of the EU-Israel trade agreement must be prioritised. That is the most effective economic lever we have, and Ireland has been and is at the fore of pushing for it across the European Union.

Beyond the policy level, we are seeing extraordinary solidarity here at home. In Kildare and across Ireland, families are contacting me daily asking how they can help families in Gaza. Irish people are in WhatsApp groups with families in Rafah and throughout Gaza and the West Bank. They are co-ordinating donations and desperately trying to bring Palestinians here to safety, particularly those with acute medical needs, but the barriers are immense. Applying for asylum through the normal processes is next to impossible for those in Gaza. Internet access is patchy or non-existent, documents are destroyed or unobtainable, and travel outside of the Gaza Strip is almost impossible. Yet, these families continue to try. They do not want to be forgotten.

Ireland must respond with compassion and leadership. Today, I call for the creation of a special scheme for Palestinians seeking refuge here in Ireland.

This should be akin to what we provided for Ukrainians, namely, a humanitarian route grounded in urgency, dignity and practicality. We cannot ask people trapped under bombardment to wait months for paperwork that they cannot even access. This scheme would allow Irish families who are willing to sponsor and support Palestinians to do so legally and securely.

Ireland has a proud record of humanitarian responses, but now is the time for a bolder and more tailored approach. Gaza is not just facing a humanitarian crisis. It is facing annihilation. Ceasefires must hold, hostages must be released and aid must flow.

Beyond the emergency, we need to ask ourselves what role can we play in ensuring this never happens again. It starts with consequences. The EU-Israel trade agreement should be suspended until full compliance with international humanitarian and human rights law is restored. Words alone are not enough. It is action that gives meaning to our principles. I would go as far as to say that a mere suspension of the EU-Israel trade agreement is not enough. A review of any possible reapplication of it should be considered very seriously in light of what we have seen, not just over past two years, but over the past number of decades.

I commend the work of our diplomats, the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, the Minister of State, Thomas Byrne, and our civil servants who continue to work through international channels, often quietly and diligently, to help families, build pressure and support peace-building efforts, but we need to go further now. Our voice matters. In terms of how pushing for suspension of the EU-Israel trade agreement and the recognition of the Palestinian state, Ireland, Spain and a few others have stood out for a long time. Through those diplomatic relations, we have been able to bring other countries along with us and let them see our perspective. More countries in Europe now have their eyes far more open to what is happening. It has taken far too long but it shows that diplomacy - working with other countries, trying to bring them along and not just being an outcast standing on our own - works. How we make a real, thorough impact is by hitting Israel where it hurts, and that is through the EU-Israel trade agreement. That is the strongest tool we have at this moment.

Let Ireland continue to lead as it has, not only with words, but with our actions, our heart and our hope. What we did when the war broke out in Ukraine in allowing Ukrainian refugees to come here with special protections we need to consider for the people of Palestine. Not everybody from Palestine will want to leave as refugees but for those who do, we should be in a position to allow them. Trying to get visa documents and trying to get online is quite difficult, so we should be looking at ways to care for them and help them to come here if they so wish.

Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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I came across a quote today that said a sane state did not wage war against civilians and did not kill babies as a hobby. That is a very strong statement. What has been happening, particularly in Gaza, over the past number of painful months has been atrocious. It makes me nervous that people in the western world - in the whole world - are looking at what is happening Gaza and war and death have been normalised. This shows that, while not all of us, a lot of people in this world have lost their souls and humanity.

I cannot imagine what the people who have been bombed every day are going through. What the people of Palestine are being subjected to is absolutely and utterly horrific. Millions of people face starvation. We have spoke about it. If nothing else, we have to lift the blockade on the aid and allow in what we would call impartial organisations into Gaza to distribute that aid.

Let us be honest - Israel has trampled over international law and is getting away with it. I have to be very careful with my words because, like everyone else, I can get angry. There is no crime that Israel has not inflicted on the Palestinian people, yet the international community has done nothing. We have named them, namely, the US, France, Germany and our own European Union. I thought a union was meant to help and look after one another and have strength in numbers, but I have lost faith in that. How can a lasting peace be built when Benjamin Netanyahu is not held to account? The regime acts with impunity and gets away with everything. That drives me crazy.

I ask the Government to listen to everybody here and play its part in passing the occupied territories Bill. From a tiny little acorn grows a mighty oak tree. Let us start with every small thing we can do to get us to the big oak tree and help the Palestinian people who are suffering.

Ordinary people in their tens of thousands have come out onto the street throughout the country to give voice to how angry they are at Israeli war crimes and the inaction of the Irish Government and others. Please, listen to everyone. Look at the people all over the world who have come out in support of peace and the Palestinians.

To say it is shocking, but Israel does act with impunity. That is because it has never been held to account, not for one of its actions in killing thousands upon thousands of civilians - unarmed mothers, children, fathers, you name it. Professional people who have a right to go there and report what is happening are just massacred without any consequences. It is genocide - there is no other word for it - and it is being normalised. We are not doing enough to get this right. Israel has violated every single part of international law and got away with it. We are human beings, and if we get away with something the first time, we will chance it again, regardless of what it is. That is what we have seen with Iran.

I wish to mention the band Kneecap and others who have given Palestinians a voice. It is shocking to see more time being spent trying to silence people who are giving the Palestinians a voice. If half that effort was spent trying to have peace in Palestine, we may not be in here talking about it. Please, work together and do whatever is possible to pass the occupied territories Bill.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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It is another week of unspeakable horror in Gaza, with scores of people killed every single day, many of them - maybe most of them - while queuing for food. Another week of aid being used as a weapon of war against starving Gazans by the Israeli, US-backed, so-called Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Another week of distraction, reframing and excuses by most of the western establishment who enable, fund and arm this genocide. "Death, death to the IDF". That should be a statement of good sense. Dismantle the army that is responsible for this slaughter. Support Palestinian resistance to genocide and occupation.

It speaks of the upside down world in which we live that Bob Vylan chanting this simple slogan was treated as an outrage. It provoked more investigations into artists speaking up against genocide and more attempts to conflate protests against genocide with antisemitism. In the US and across Europe, Ireland included, we are seeing the spread of authoritarianism to shut down, oppose and prevent criticism of and opposition to Israel. There has been a crackdown and criminalising of peaceful protest. It will only be a few more days before Palestine Action will likely be officially proscribed as a terrorist organisation in Britain.

Last week, many of the peaceful activists I was with for the global march to Gaza were in Brussels to demand that the EU suspend its trade association agreement with Israel. They were violently suppressed. Irish activists were arrested and carried away for simply singing a Palestinian rendition of "Bella Ciao".

I will finish with some other words of Bob Vylan that have not received the same coverage. He said:

We, like those in the spotlight before us, are not the story. We are a distraction from the story ... We are not the first. We will not be the last. And if you care for the sanctity of human life and freedom of speech, we urge you to speak up too. Free Palestine.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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I have only two minutes so I hope I will pick my words effectively and usefully. Since dawn this morning, 43 Palestinian people have been killed by Israeli attacks. On Monday, 74 people were killed, 30 of them at a seaside café used by journalists, activists and local residents. More than 600 starving Palestinians have been killed like moving targets at a fairground. Some 4,186 were injured while waiting for food at the obscenely titled Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.

We are offering our few words today. Doctors Without Borders has told us that the aid distribution sites are "slaughter masquerading as humanitarian aid". Before 7 October, there were 400 such sites across the Gaza Strip. That is down to four now. Under this abomination, Gaza has gone from 400 to four, with Philippe Lazzarini the Commissoner-General of UNRWA.

I am looking at the Tánaiste's 23-page speech. I see the narrative continues from the Government. Despite the good steps that have been taken, the narrative utterly fails to condemn Israel for the genocidal state it is. We talk as if history started on 7 October; it certainly did not. We condemn without hesitation what happened but no context or history are given at all. I read what the Tánaiste said, and if this is what we are talking about, we have no credibility left at all. He referred to "the conflict between Iran and Israel", as if Iran was not attacked in an unprovoked fashion by a genocidal Israeli Government. Our Government calls that a mutual conflict whereby the countries attacked each other. That is the type of narrative that makes me very angry and deals a terrible blow to our credibility as an independent sovereign state and a Republic with a duty to speak out. We have a duty to call out the abuse of power no matter where it is. At this stage, it is Israel and absolutely Israel.

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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"War is a relic of barbarism only possible because we are governed by a ruling class with barbaric ideas." That was said by James Connolly as he looked at the conflagration that was the First World War. How apt it is now. We have been here previously. People are saying this is something new but, unfortunately, it is a feature of history, including the world wars, the Holocaust, Srebrenica, the 30th anniversary of which is coming up shortly, and Rwanda. Colonialism and genocide go back centuries. The indigenous native Americans had genocide committed against them, as did so many others.

The barbaric ruling class in this case comprises the US, which is funding Israel's barbarism; the EU, which is actively sending arms to the Israelis and turning a blind eye; the UK; and the so-called Gulf and Middle Eastern Muslim states that have been completely complicit in what is being done to the Palestinian people.

The UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer says Glastonbury is the problem. Apparently, "Death, death to the IDF" is a shocking thing to say but it is not a shocking thing to say when kids are being killed for sport. Naturally, you do not want that army to continue. I offer solidarity to those artists who are using their platforms, potentially suffering commercially and facing terrorism laws in the UK. They are risking sales. I remember Sinéad O'Connor, who was somebody else who took a part.

I do not have time to make all the points I want to but I will mention oxycodone. That it now seems that the Israelis are deliberately putting opioid drugs into flour is disgusting.

I also want to put on the record Francesca Albanese's list of companies that have blood on their hands by profiting from this barbarism. Any TD going to 4 July celebrations has a lot to answer for in rewarding the US for what it is doing. I do not have time to name all of the relevant companies, but I will mention Palintir, IBM, Google and Facebook, which have tax-free status in Ireland. Shame on the Irish Government for not taking them to task.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Yesterday, I took part in the pre-legislative process for the Government's occupied territories Bill, or the OTB-lite. Like others, I focused on the Government's exclusion of services from the current draft. The officials from the Department of foreign affairs were able to give me a clear answer on one point I raised. One of the conclusions in the ICJ opinion, delivered last year, was that states should "abstain from entering into economic or trade dealings with Israel concerning the Occupied Palestinian Territory". I asked the officials if it was their legal opinion that the term "economic or trade dealings" in the ICJ opinion referred to trade in goods alone or referred to trade in goods and services. They were clear that the legal advice received by the departmental officials was to the effect that the ICJ was referring to trade in goods and services. As such, if Ireland passes a Bill that excludes services, we will not meet the requirements of the ICJ advisory opinion regarding our engagement with the Palestinian territories.

I also asked the officials how we could defend the occupied territories Bill against a possible challenge under EU law. To do so, we would have to use the public policy justification in Article 36 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. It has been noted that the European Court of Justice scrutinises and is very strict about how that particular treaty article is used. A member state must show that it is advocating a genuine and sufficiently serious threat to a fundamental interest of society. I raised my concern that there was a risk that passing a Bill that only covered trade in goods from the occupied territories and not trade in services, which was a very obvious gap, undermined Ireland's argument before the European Court of Justice that the restriction in the Bill represented a genuine manifestation of Irish public policy. The officials were unable to give me a convincing argument on that point. I believe that by proposing a Bill that omits services, the Government is setting it up to fail a legal challenge. This weakness can be solved by including services in the Government's Bill.

Brian Stanley (Laois, Independent)
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The terrorist state of Israel continues its campaign of horror, genocide, starvation and every war crime imaginable. Civilians queuing for food because they are desperate and starving are being slaughtered. Refugees in tents are being bombed. Only one of more than 20 hospitals is now able to operate, and with great difficulty. Water supplies are being cut. Medics and journalists are being murdered. That is not to mention what is going on in the West Bank with settlers and the Israeli militia.

The State of Israel continues to act with impunity. Many governments around the world, including EU governments, are assisting and should hang their heads in shame. They are colluding with Israel. The British Government is one such government. Meanwhile, Kneecap becomes the issue for singing and shouting slogans. Nothing is said about the Government of that state supplying Israel with weapons, etc.

The State of Israel, with the assistance of the US, targets Iran. I do not like the regime in Iran. Israel targeted it with bombs, supposedly to stop its nuclear programme, despite the fact that until recently, the US Government's position was that Iran was not developing nuclear weapons. A negotiated outcome with Iran should be the priority.

What can be done?

The hostages must be released, but this must include Palestinian hostages, the thousands of young boys incarcerated in the jails of Israel and being tortured and horribly treated. We in this State must pass the full occupied territories Bill to include services. We must pass measures in the Dáil to end the practice of the Central Bank issuing and approving the prospectuses for Israeli war bonds. The Taoiseach and the Government said they cannot do it. The Governor of the Central Bank has said it can be done if we put forward the measures here in this House. Gabriel Makhlouf has said this and contradicted the Government on this point. We should follow through on it. We should continue to work with EU states to try to get the suspension of the EU-Israel association agreement. I welcome the work done on that by the Government, but we must continue with it. Regarding the stopping of the slaughter of civilians queuing for food, this must be brought to the International Court of Justice and added to the case there. We must continue to use all our diplomatic resources to press for a ceasefire and negotiations and to work towards a two-state solution for Palestine and Israel.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Over the last few weeks, I have been looking at the emails and telephone messages I have received from constituents. A lot of the names would be familiar to me. I have never heard from them previously and never thought they would be as animated about this issue as to come forward and to put in two pages of an email what they felt about it, but they did. Over time, those numbers have grown significantly. It is not that we cannot ignore them anymore, but that they are telling a truth we do not want to listen to.

Last year, on the finance committee, we dealt with the Central Bank and the bonds. We also dealt with several other issues concerning Israel. It has taken from before the last general election until now for the Government to be brought to the point where it is using words it did not use before, even though those words are meaningless and not strong enough at all.

One of the things that came across in the course of all the emails I read was the failure of Europe to deal with this situation and the failure of Ireland - even though we are a small country in that Union - to convince those in Europe that there is a serious issue here for the country and Europe to deal with. I condemn the European Union for some of the actions it has taken and for not taking some of the actions it should have taken. What is required now is a huge effort on the part of Europe, and on the part of Ireland within Europe, to convince others that action is being demanded by the people we represent.

Nobody can condone what we see on our televisions and in the print media every day of the week. It is horrendous to think that in the modern world we can have that type of murder and mayhem going on, that we are reluctant to call it genocide and that we are reluctant to take action against another country by highlighting our views simply because we may lose economically. There are times when one has to put aside any economic advantage or consideration of any economic disadvantage and do the right thing. At the weekend, I met a lady who was upset about this whole issue, about the Government and the European Union not doing what is expected of them and that the genocide and murder continues. I do not know what it takes for this House to come together with one voice and state exactly where we stand, without any dressing up or political packaging, just to say it clearly and to encourage others to take the same position as us.

The occupied territories Bill has gone around and around. I commend Senator Black on her work in this area. We have left the legislation and long-fingered it for far too long. Services need to be included in the Bill. Let it be taken to whatever court anyone might want and challenged in whatever way it has to be, but we need to make this very definite statement as a country to ensure our voice and the voices of the people we represent are heard. I read deep disappointment in the emails and communications to me. People feel they are being overlooked and not being heard and that we are playing to the gallery in relation to the bigger group within the European Union. The time has come; people would like to see democracy in action. They would like to see the European Union listening to them, for once, and they would like to see the Members of the European Parliament coming together with the countries they represent and making this statement that is now urgently required.

It is shocking to think the great powers in this world - bigger powers than Ireland certainly - and the collective power of the European Union have not achieved a free track of supply of humanitarian aid to where it is most needed. We can argue about who is right and who is wrong in relation to what is happening, but the bottom line is that it is not the fault of the women, children and men we see being murdered on our television screens. Whatever is going on, it should be put aside. Permission should be given for the humanitarian aid to pass freely to where it is needed. Because we are not getting that direction from America, the European Union needs to take that strong hand. While there is still time to do it, I hope that Ireland will correct its pretty weak position, take a strong leadership role within the European Union and do the right thing on behalf of the citizens of this country.

Catherine Callaghan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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To echo what all the speakers have stated today, the ongoing genocide in the Middle East is abhorrent. Innocent civilians are being starved to death. Parents have no baby formula for their infants. This is happening in our world today. While I acknowledge the Government's work so far, we need to keep the pressure on. I hear from concerned people every day across counties Carlow and Kilkenny who are, quite rightly, horrified by what is happening in Gaza. They are urging us, as a country and a Government, to do more, to push harder and to pass the occupied territories Bill - now called the Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill - and include services in it, which I am not opposed to. What is paramount is that we ensure this Bill is enforceable and the most effective legislation it can be. Adherence to any advice from the Attorney General is of critical importance. We are the only country in Europe to draft legislation of this type, and I am hopeful, once it is passed into law, that other countries across Europe will be inspired to do the same. I support the Taoiseach's call on all parties in this House to work with their equivalent parties across Europe and encourage them to speak with their governments to do as we have done and enact domestic legislation to place sanctions on Israel in response to the genocidal acts it is committing.

We need to keep making our voice heard in Europe so that our European counterparts can add their voice to ours and ensure we are heard and that we as a group of European countries together call on Israel to immediately lift its blockade of humanitarian and commercial supplies for Gaza and allow the resumption of unimpeded humanitarian aid. I share the UN's concerns that Israel's new model for delivering aid into Gaza through private contractors - the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation - is not operating in accordance with humanitarian principles. Hundreds of people have been killed while trying to collect food. UNRWA has described the model as degrading and humiliating and said it is putting lives in danger. We need European countries to join us and urge them to act to call out what is happening in Gaza for what it is - genocide.

I cannot speak about the Middle East without talking about the fragile security situation in southern Lebanon, including ongoing Hezbollah activity and the continuing Israeli strikes and infringements of Lebanon's airspace in defiance of UN Security Council Resolution 1701. All sides must meet their commitments under the ceasefire agreement. Ongoing Israeli attacks in Lebanon also undermine the legitimacy of President Aoun and Prime Minister Salam as they continue to assert the primacy of the Lebanese State. It is important to commend the Lebanese Government on its efforts to deploy the Lebanese armed forces into the south and exert a monopoly of force throughout the country. Israel's continued occupation of parts of Lebanon breaches international law. It is important that Ireland encourages the steps being taken by the Lebanese Government to reform Lebanon's economy and to continue the reconstruction of Lebanon. I am glad to see that Ireland and the EU are committed to supporting this work.

I am deeply concerned about the safety of our troops in the region. Speculation about UNIFIL's mandate renewal is not helpful and potentially endangers our troops, particularly in the context of heightened tension in the region. While it is true that in May, the Irish Government approved the continued participation of the Irish Defence Forces in UNIFIL for a further period of 12 months, if UNIFIL's UN mandate is not renewed when it expires on 31 August, which is by no means guaranteed as the US has a veto it could use if it so wishes, as Irish law stands, our Irish troops will have to immediately depart the UNIFIL mission. This is solely due to the requirement for Ireland to request permission from the US, the UK, France, Russia and China regarding where our peacekeeping troops are deployed. Meanwhile, the other troops that are part of the UNIFIL mission can continue. They may decide to continue and remain in a different capacity as peacekeepers in Lebanon with the consent of the host nation of Lebanon. Their presence will continue to provide the much-needed stability that is required in that very fragile security situation in southern Lebanon.

Bilaterally and at a multilateral level, Ireland has repeatedly called on Israel to comply with international law, stressing the universal applicability of international law, including international humanitarian law. In that way, the deliberate targeting of UNIFIL personnel or installations is a violation of international humanitarian law.

Ireland, the EU and our international partners have been clear that there can be no forced displacement of the civilian population in Gaza or occupation of the strip by Israel. We need to keep pushing. We need to hold firm and work together as a House and in the European Union to demand a lasting ceasefire, the flow of humanitarian aid, the return of hostages and the passing of the most effective occupied territories Bill and that we work towards a two-state solution.

Natasha Newsome Drennan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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So far today, over 40 Palestinians have been slaughtered by Israeli airstrikes. In the past two days, over 250 Palestinians have been killed. A large number of these people were murdered while seeking aid from aid stations. Even Israeli media is reporting accounts from soldiers operating near these stations that they are being ordered to shoot civilians seeking aid. In the West Bank, Israeli forces are evicting Palestinian families and demolishing their homes to make way for more illegal Israeli settlements. International law in the Middle East has been ripped to shreds by the Israeli Government.

War crimes are taking place daily, yet this Government and our EU counterparts have failed to find any backbone or take a stand against Israel. Worse, Ireland and the EU continue trading and doing business with Israel. The Government will not even stop arms being transported via Ireland. We saw decisive action against Russia over its illegal invasion of Ukraine and war crimes but even now, after all the slaughter of Palestinians, the EU still cannot unite to say enough is enough.

Tomorrow, the UN will publish a report naming companies that play a vital role in Israel's genocide in Gaza and its brutal apartheid system across Israel and the West Bank. Microsoft, Alphabet and Amazon give Israel, through their database, free reign to maintain surveillance across the police state. These companies have all eagerly recruited staff from Israeli military intelligence. Global insurance companies like Allianz and Axa have invested heavily in shares and bonds linked to Israel's occupation. These are household names in Ireland. As usual with large corporations, profit reigns supreme. They show little or no regard for human rights violations in business partnership.

The public stands with us. The overwhelming majority want the occupied territories Bill enacted. Even Government Members agree. Find some backbone, do what is right, enact the Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill and not the Government's watered-down version and put an end to arms being transported to Israel via Shannon Airport. People in Gaza are risking their lives to retrieve food. Israel is weaponising starvation to lure them in to kill them. Do they just sit in their tents and starve to death or die trying to get food? It is like putting cheese on a mousetrap. There is only way it is going to end.

This morning, I listened to a paediatrician on the radio. He spoke of women having children and how the children were born starving. The mothers are lucky to get fed once a day. The most natural thing for a baby is to get its mother's milk. The mothers cannot provide milk for their own children. These children and their parents are dying from starvation. They cannot even get the basic necessity - baby formula - in to save them. They have enough fuel to cook once a day if they are lucky enough to get something to eat. Imagine one's own children begging for food. Imagine what that is doing to people's mental health. It is shocking.

Albert Einstein said "The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything."

That is what is happening. We are not doing enough. Children are owed so much more than another day of this war. It is time to act.

Paul Lawless (Mayo, Aontú)
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We have seen horrific scenes of the destruction of people in Palestine. It is difficult to pick any single moment but I was struck by a Palestinian paediatrician, Alaa al-Najjar, who fell to her knees with the pain and devastation of witnessing her own children arriving into her emergency department. Her nine children were killed by an Israeli airstrike. They were between the ages of two and 12. To think of such young children being killed is heartbreaking and then to think there is such starvation happening in Gaza as thousands of people are in search of food, yet there is a blockade on humanitarian supplies. Hunger is being used as a weapon of war. This is genocide.

Yesterday, I listened and watched Department officials being questioned at the joint committee on foreign affairs. It was painful. As many members of the Opposition asked important and poignant questions, I was particularly struck by Senator McDowell’s contribution. He raised the point that between member states of the European Union, there is a treaty entitlement that allows member states to prevent the importation of goods on public policy grounds. Has the Irish Government engaged with the European Union to see if this entitlement is available to a country outside the EU? It seems implausible to think that this provision is available within the EU but we cannot enact the same legislation for a country outside the EU, for example, Morocco or Israel, when we could do it for Spain. It is very frustrating.

I have watched conversations and debate here for weeks and this issue has been passed around like a parcel. All the while I have watched the leaders of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, the Taoiseach and Tánaiste, respectively, moralise as if we have achieved something. Talk is cheap, and all that has happened has been months and years of conversation and moralising. The time for action is now. What is happening in Gaza is deeply distressing. I would like the Minister of State to take back to the Cabinet the message that we should be doing much more within the European Union to put forward the Irish position and that of the people in Gaza. Right now, we are bystanders on this. We have talked a good game here in this House but that is it. Now is the time to take the lead in the conversation across the European Union and take a more proactive role. We have a history of persecution by a foreign power in this country and we have a key competence in peace negotiations. We should be engaging with the European Union, Israel and, indeed, the Palestinians to work out a solution.

Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)
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As so many speakers have said, the war and the scenes taking place out there are horrific. Nothing hits an Irish person more than to see millions of young people, or any person, facing starvation. It could not hit a deeper note in the mind of any Irish person because we have had this in our own history. It is something that will never be forgotten in the history of this country and what is happening to the Palestinians now should never be forgotten either.

I will not be critical of the Government. We have to be very careful. Much of the Opposition thinks we should shout and roar, expel ambassadors and do all sorts of dramatic things. While that sells to the public, it could have serious implications in the long term. I have concerns that Europe seems to be hand-tied against speaking out more strongly and advocating for peace. That is why every politician in this House should advocate for a peaceful solution.

Ireland is a neutral country. I am very much a believer that we should always advocate for peace. I think the Government has been doing the best it can in a very difficult situation because if the EU, which is a stronger body, is unable to do something, how is Ireland going to be a superpower?

I listened to different speakers, one of whom mentioned going to meet the US ambassador on 4 July. I would be delighted to meet anyone if it meant bringing peace to the countries that are fighting. This country wants to lead on peace abroad. Shouting over fences and screaming and roaring are not going to deliver. We need to be able to talk to the American ambassador and others in this country and sit down around the table, regardless of the occasion, when we get the chance. We will never get peace if we keep roaring. We will only adding to the problem. I will take every opportunity I get, whether it is this week or next week, to meet anyone, anywhere to try to speak about peace and push the US Government, which has a strong influence on Israel, to advocate for peace through that channel.

One of the first things I heard was the Social Democrats calling for us to expel the Israeli ambassador. We have Irish citizens over there. I would have serious concerns for the welfare of those citizens if we were to go ahead and jump at that. That shows the immaturity that is out there. Of course, it is a great soundbite, it looks good and people get lots of likes on their social media for coming out with a statement like that but common sense must come into play here. We must do everything in our power to advocate for peace. Every hour of the day, we need to seek to meet the ambassadors. We need to bring them here, talk to them and see if we can advocate for peace. Rather than engage in dramatics, maybe we need to do the ordinary everyday things that bring peace to countries and bring people together.

There is some peace in Iran at the moment, which is absolutely needed. I support any peace efforts going on there. Bombing a country, whichever country it is, is not a way forward for peace. As a neutral country, we should stand strong and do our best to make sure the powers that be in Europe are working towards peace and the powers that be in this country, through our ambassadors, should be pushing very strongly for peace.

I see a lot of protests outside the House on this issue. I believe in democracy and it is important that people voice their concerns, but the protestors out there should be careful. I have gone out there a few times. I could have been talking in the Chamber for ten or 15 minutes on the issue and the next thing is I go outside and get roared at that I do not speak about anything or any of the issues. That is not the way to bring people with you. You have to respect what they are saying and understand that they are on the same side, the side of peace. Independent Ireland is on the side of peace and making sure, first, that there is no more massacres of innocent people, second, that the starvation of people has to stop immediately and people have to get food and, third, that immediate aid be provided to the hospitals that are being bombed and they at least be allowed some safety. There are innocent people who have gone out there to give their time to help people.

Another Deputy said he was getting a lot of emails.

We are all receiving a lot of emails about this issue, some of which are extremely genuine. I have also received a lot of phone calls on this issue. I spoke to a gentleman two or three days ago who said he never rang a politician in his life, but rang all of the politicians in Cork South-West. I spoke to him at length and he was in bits over what is going on. Much of what people see on social media today probably upsets people, but they are upsetting scenes. There is no point in anyone being in denial and no one on our end will ever condone what is going on.

We should be diplomatic in our way forward and seek peace through any channel possible. We should not condemn anyone who has a different way of trying to get peace. Some believe in shouting and roaring; more believe in sitting down around the table. I am a believer in sitting around the table and trying to see whether we can bring peace to the country. If that involves meeting our ambassador from America tomorrow, I would do it. I am not one bit afraid to say that. I will not stand behind others who think that is the wrong idea. No one will insult anybody, but we need to talk and open up the channels. That is an opportunity everyone should take. People should speak peacefully to others because we will never create peace when we are throwing stones from the other side and looking over the ditch.

Séamus McGrath (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister for being here to facilitate the debate on the Middle East. All of us in the House can agree on how horrified we are by what we are seeing on our televisions day in, day out in terms of the atrocities that are taking place in the Middle East. The massacre of human life is absolutely atrocious. A number of years ago we would not have expected to witness this in the year 2025. We had hoped the world had matured to a point whereby this type of hard military action would not be taking place.

Obviously, the only way forward is discussion, negotiation and reaching a ceasefire to allow room and scope for a proper discussion and a long-term settlement to be put in place. I by no means underestimate the task involved. The problems in the Middle East, in particular Gaza and the West Bank, are decades old and there are deep rooted and very entrenched views, but we have to find a solution. Ireland can speak loudly on that issue because we had our own issues on this island. Thankfully, we managed to navigate our way through a peace process which has endured and lasted. In that sense, it gives us a sense of authority to speak on this issue.

As a country, we propose a two-state solution, which is the only way forward as far as I am concerned. As I said, we have an authority to speak on that. It is only through discussion and agreement that we will find an ultimate solution. There has been criticism of Ireland's position to the effect that we are not strong enough. A previous speaker mentioned the scores of emails that we are receiving from constituents. I fully understand that as a TD. The vast majority come from a good place and are heartfelt and genuine. People, like ourselves, are horrified by what they are seeing day in, day out. They are reaching out to their public representatives, which is what people do in a democracy. We all fully accept and understand that. Like others, I have received emails from people who ask how we can let this happen. I ask myself how we can stop this. That is a question that we, as public representative, need to ask ourselves.

Ireland has a choice to make. Do we remain a strong voice in the large powerful block that is the European Union and try to bring about progress in that forum or do we stand apart, become an outlier, be more extreme in our views and lose the powerful voice we have within the European Union? Staying in the European Union and being a strong voice is a choice because there are voices and views on Europe that are very different from ours. Other countries take a different position and have a different stance. That is why we as a country need to be strong and stay within the European Union so that our voice is heard.

Becoming an outlier and being outside the tent as a small country on the periphery of Europe will not contribute anything to a solution. We can take a stand and make ourselves feel better about what we have done on various issues, but if we want to make a meaningful difference, something we have done in Europe, we have to remain within the European family and try to make progress in that way and through that forum.

Ireland, as a whole, has been very strong in our position on the Middle East. Ireland has provided over €88 million in support to the people of Palestine since January 2023, which is a significant sum of money for a small nation such as ours. More than €75 million has been provided since October 2023. Ireland has provided €20 million in core support to UNRWA this year alone, which brings our support to €58 million since 2023. In May 2024, Ireland recognised the State of Palestine, along with Spain, in the European Union, which was a very brave decision for us to take. We have been strong in our support of the South African case in the International Court of Justice. In 2024, we facilitated the evacuation of up to 36 children from Gaza for treatment and care. All of these measures are very important.

The Palestinian authorities praised Ireland for the position we are taking. From some of the correspondence I have received, one would think we were at the other end. We are not. The Palestinian authorities have praised us. Israel and its associates have been highly critical of Ireland in terms of the position we have taken on these issues.

It is about staying the course in terms of our position in Europe, doing everything we possibly can to bring about a long lasting settlement and working the diplomatic and international channels. I again repeat that Ireland has a strong position and a lot of authority in respect of a peace process and trying to bring about an ultimate solution. I urge our political leaders, despite everything I have said, to be as strong as they possibly can when they meet their European colleagues and counterparts at various meetings and engagements and interactions across Europe and beyond. I ask that they be as strong as possible in their voice of support for a proper settlement and bring about what is needed to stop the carnage we are seeing day in, day out and the unfortunate massacre of men, women and children on a daily basis. It is simply not good enough in the world we are living in today. Surely working together collectively we can end this as soon as possible.

Joe Neville (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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I welcome the O'Regan family from Dublin via Cork and thank them all for coming to the Gallery. It is good to see them.

We are speaking about the Middle East which is obviously a complex issue, as outlined by Deputy McGrath. The Government has done a huge amount of work internationally, from a diplomatic perspective, and has put a huge effort into discussing and raising the issue in a way that has not happened elsewhere in the western world. We have shown leadership as a Government. Indeed, our leaders have shown leadership the rest of Europe. In fairness, a lot of Europe is now following. Other countries, such as the UK, may be slower, but they are beginning to view things as we have done.

As Deputy McGrath outlined, the issues have been raised with us. We receive emails and see social media posts. It is often pitched that we are on the other side of this fight, for want of a better term. There is a view that we may not stand as aligned as we should, but I would argue that the people of Palestine know exactly where Ireland stands. The leaders of Palestine know exactly where we stand. The leaders in the Middle East know exactly where we stand. We stand against what is happening in Gaza and what is happening to all of the people there, especially the children, and how they are being killed and their lives destroyed. Not only is destruction happening now, what is happening will sow the seeds of destruction for future generations. That is what we in Ireland have highlighted.

Constituents in Kildare North have reached out to me over the past couple of years, especially since I have been elected to the Dáil. I have received emails from people who are horrified and distressed. Their views mirror my own and those of the people beside me. People might ask why I would speak as a TD about the Middle East and ask who cares what a TD in Ireland says about the Middle East. The only reason we discuss it is that we have to discuss it and highlight what we see on our TV screens and what is going on. If we do not, the world will be silent about what is going on.

Although we are not the strongest militarily or economically, what we do have is a history of standing proudly neutral and fair behind what is right. We know that what is happening in Israel and Gaza is not right, and this is what we are calling out.

The Irish Government has always been clear on its support for Gaza. As Deputy Séamus McGrath outlined, we have committed significant funding in our own way to the people of Gaza, as highlighted by the €58 million to UNRWA, among other moneys. We have repeatedly called for a ceasefire with the immediate release of hostages. We recognised the State of Palestine when other countries did not do so. We have shown the way across Europe, along with Spain and Norway, in this specific regard.

The Government will continue to make the case throughout Europe and at the UN. Let no one in this House be in any doubt about where the Irish Government stands. The country of Israel is in no doubt about where this country stands. Sometimes when I am taking part in debates on RTÉ or Newstalk, the Opposition, which is not here at present, would like to label us as not being as pro-Gaza or Palestine as we should be. This goes against the view of everyone else. The Opposition is completely wrong in how it is portraying the Government. We want not only to make the case now but we have made it previously and we will continue to do so.

This debate is about the Middle East and we have seen what has happened in recent weeks with Iran and Israel. We had issues back and forth between the two countries. I hope that now they have come to a resolution and the guns have been silenced. Ultimately, an escalation of any conflict does no good to anyone. It just sows the seeds of future distrust which will continue for future generations.

Ireland remains fully committed in all of this. We remain fully committed to promoting peace throughout the world, and especially in the Middle East where we feel we have a role. The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Harris, has been at the forefront of leading this, as has the Taoiseach. The Minister of State, Deputy McConalogue, is here representing the Government in this debate and all Ministers have been to the forefront in representing it. Deputy Séamus McGrath and I may be backbench TDs but we also speak for the Government. The Government speaks with one voice and it is important that the Opposition and the people of Ireland know with what voice we speak. We speak on behalf of fairness. We speak on behalf of peace. We speak on behalf of all of the people who are struggling in Gaza and other areas of the Middle East and throughout the world. We speak for them because we speak for freedom.

This House came out of war and we have prospered in the freedom we have found since. As a country we have had our difficulties. Many of our families were involved in the War of Independence. We do not have to go back too far for all of those stories, or for the battles that raged around Europe. We have seen peace and now we want the same freedom, peace and future for the people of Gaza. This is why I am making this statement. I am with the Government and what it is doing. I call again on Israel to have a ceasefire as soon as possible so we can start to rebuild Gaza with what is required for the future peace and prosperity of the people of the area so they too can live as we do.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The images we see from Gaza and the horrifying humanitarian situation are truly appalling. The trajectory of displacement and disenfranchisement of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank is unfathomable. More than 56,000 people have been killed in Gaza. These are the ones whose deaths have been verified. Many more bodies lie beneath the rubble. Behind each number is an individual, a loved one, and a person who had ambitions, dreams, hopes and talents.

I am also acutely aware of the situation in the West Bank. It is clear that Israeli authorities are taking measures designed to bring about the displacement of Palestinian communities. I am deeply concerned about the mass demolition of homes, buildings and infrastructure in camps across the West Bank. It marks the erosion of Palestinian life.

Against this backdrop, Ireland's position has been clear and considered. We have not been afraid to use our voices and to take action. Over the past week the Tánaiste spoke with a number of his counterparts in the Middle East about the escalating hostilities. They all thanked Ireland for our consistent and principled position. Let me set out this position again. Ireland strongly condemns the continuing Israeli military operations in Gaza. We urgently need an end to hostilities and a permanent ceasefire. We unequivocally condemn the terror attacks by Hamas on Israel on 7 October 2023. The taking of hostages is unconscionable and I call for the immediate release of the remaining hostages. A return to diplomatic talks is imperative.

The entire population of Gaza is facing high levels of food insecurity. One in five faces famine. By mid-June, 93% of households also faced water insecurity, exacerbating public health risks. Israel must immediately lift its blockade and allow the full resumption of unimpeded humanitarian aid in line with humanitarian principles.

Ireland has used every lever at our disposal to respond to this terrible conflict, and we are continuing to do so. At the Foreign Affairs Council last week, Ireland was not alone in wanting to keep the focus on Gaza and the West Bank amid the wider regional instabilities. The EU is united in calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the unconditional release of all hostages and immediate unimpeded access to, and distribution of, humanitarian aid in Gaza. Ireland has been at the forefront of member state initiatives to press the EU to take further actions in the face of such appalling scenes. We have paved the way for many of the policy advances we now see play out.

At the Foreign Affairs Council in May, it was announced the EU will conduct a review of the association agreement with Israel. Ireland and Spain first called for such a review in February of last year. A clear majority of member states agreed on the need to send a strong signal to Israel to reverse course, halt its military operations and lift the blockade on life-saving aid. I welcome that the review of Israel's compliance with its obligation under Article 2 of the EU-Israel association agreement has now been finalised. It is clear from the review that Israel is in breach of its human rights obligations. This is a significant finding and the human rights Vice President of the Commission has said that she will communicate this clearly to Israel. We are moving the dial. There must now be concrete options for follow-up action to the review, which will be discussed at this month Foreign Affairs Council.

Ireland has consistently called for an adequate response at EU level to the July 2024 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, notably as regards trade with Israeli settlements. Together with eight of our EU counterparts, the Tánaiste wrote to the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, on 19 June calling for the EU to undertake a detailed review of its compliance with the advisory opinion. This review will now be taken forward in parallel with the review of the association agreement. It is essential that the EU abides by its commitments under international law.

Action at EU level is our preferred option. Our voices are always louder together, and the EU can play an important leadership role and must take action now. Pending an appropriate response at EU level, last week the Government approved the general scheme of the Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory Bill. The scheme delivers on the commitment in the programme for Government to progress legislation prohibiting the import of goods from the settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, following the International Court of Justice's advisory opinion. The scheme has been referred to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade for pre-legislative scrutiny and the first meeting on it was held yesterday. I thank Senator Frances Black for her continuing work on the issue.

We need a ceasefire and a hostage release deal. We need a permanent solution for peace and security for Israel and Palestine and the wider region. Ireland is also working at UN level on measures to push the dial forward. On the 12 June the UN General Assembly voted on a draft resolution that demands an immediate unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza. The vote took place during the tenth emergency special session of the UN General Assembly as part of the uniting for peace initiative. Ireland was proud to co-sponsor this resolution.

Another shared priority with our European and regional partners at this time is the UN high-level international conference for a peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine and the implementation of a two-state solution.

Regrettably, the conference has been postponed in response to recent developments in the region. When the rescheduled conference takes place, it will provide an important opportunity to advance discussions on concrete initiatives toward implementing this two-state solution.

The importance of recognition of the State of Palestine and support for full UN membership for the State of Palestine is crucial for achieving a parity of esteem between Israel and Palestine, underpinning political pathways to peace and countering extremist narratives that serve to undermine these pathways. This is something Ireland knows from our own peace process. Our experience in Northern Ireland demonstrates that peacebuilding and conflict resolution work, if supported by political commitment at national and international level. We remain convinced that the implementation of the two-state solution is the only viable path to lasting security and a sustainable peace for Israelis and Palestinians and the wider region.

Similarly, with regard to Iran, the recent conflict has certainly been a shock and a moment of real danger. Along with others, we used our voice to call for de-escalation, dialogue, diplomacy and for both sides to step back from the brink. We are relieved that a ceasefire is now in place and that it continues to hold. Although both sides were targeting military objectives, many civilians were killed or injured in both Israel and Iran. Attacks on nuclear installations raised the spectre of the release of radiological material, although the IAEA has reported that this was ultimately limited to the sites in question. We must also recall the attack on the territory of Qatar by Iran even though the US military action on Iran did not originate there.

Deputies will also be aware, as we have discussed many times, that there is a number of other concerns with Iran's policies which make better relations very difficult. These include internal repression, support for violent groups around the Middle East, support for radicalisation, attacks on Iranian exiles in Europe and significant assistance to Russia for its brutal and unjust war against Ukraine. There may be an opening now to reach a lasting solution to these issues. Iran has choices to make. The Iranian Government elected last year has said repeatedly that it wishes to reach less confrontational relations with its neighbours and the outside world. To do so, Iran will have to accept that its security lies not in threats and intimidation, but in positive relations with those around it and in negotiated solution to the concerns of many regarding its nuclear programme. Iran must embody that understanding in real changes to the course which has led it to its current isolation. If it does, we will be among the many states ready to engage positively with it.

Ireland is committed to supporting dialogue to achieve diplomatic solutions for a lasting and sustainable peace across the Middle East. It is clear that military responses cannot bring lasting security to any of the conflicts that afflict the region. What is needed is sustained diplomacy and negotiation, with the support of the international community. We will continue to use every option we have at domestic, EU and multilateral level to facilitate such an outcome. We look forward to continued dialogue with partners in the Middle East as we pursue this objective. I look forward to the continued co-operation of Members across this House in this pursuit and thank them for their contributions to this important debate this afternoon.