Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I move:

That Dáil Éireann:

condemns the attacks by Israel on civilians and human rights activists including Irish citizens participating in the Global Sumud Flotilla, seeking to deliver aid to the beleaguered and starving population of Gaza;

demands that:

— no action is taken by Israel that endangers the welfare or safety of peaceful Irish citizens and other human rights activists aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla;

— lnternational law is respected at all times and underlines that any activity targeting civilians or humanitarian workers is a breach of international law; and

— Israel completely and immediately lifts its blockade and allows the full resumption of humanitarian aid into and throughout Gaza at scale;

further condemns:

— the ongoing actions of the current Israeli government which have led to an unconscionable genocide in Gaza where a manmade famine has been declared; and

— the escalation of the Israeli military offensive in Gaza which will only lead to further bloodshed and suffering; and

further demands:

— an immediate ceasefire, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages by Hamas, and immediate and unimpeded humanitarian access at scale into Gaza; and

— parties engage in a political pathway to resolve this brutal conflict on the basis of implementation of the two State solution and the New York Declaration.

I am pleased to move this all-party motion and thank all parties in the Dáil for the intensive work that has gone into it. It is an important all-party motion clearly condemning the attacks by Israel on civilians and human rights activists, including Irish citizens, participating in the Global Sumud Flotilla seeking to deliver aid to the beleaguered and starving population of Gaza. In the face of unfolding horrors, in the face of genocide in Gaza, this demonstration of unity by Dáil Éireann sends a powerful message.

As colleagues will be aware, the Global Sumud Flotilla departed from Barcelona on 1 September with a fleet of almost 50 vessels and participants from approximately 40 countries, all with the aim of delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza and seeking to open a sustained humanitarian corridor. While monitoring its progress over recent weeks, I have been acutely aware that there are 20 Irish participants on board, including colleagues from this and the other House, all of whom are motivated by the entirely understandable desire shared by many people around the world and this country to urgently address the humanitarian needs of the people of Gaza as we continue to witness unspeakable scenes on a daily basis.

I, like many of my European counterparts, with whom I am in ongoing contact, was deeply disturbed and concerned by reports of attacks on the flotilla. These are clear breaches of international law. I reiterate in the strongest terms that no unlawful or violent act should be taken against those involved. I wholeheartedly condemn any attacks by Israel on civilians and human rights activists, including Irish citizens participating in the flotilla seeking to deliver aid to the starving population of Gaza. I was recently joined by the foreign ministers of 15 other countries, including Spain, in calling on all parties to refrain from any unlawful or violent act against the flotilla and to respect international law and international humanitarian law. Any activity targeting civilians or humanitarian workers is a clear breach of international law. Any attacks against the vessels in international waters or illegal detention will and must lead to accountability.

As the motion clearly states, no action should be taken by Israel that endangers the welfare or safety of peaceful Irish citizens and other human rights activists, including more than 300 European citizens, aboard this flotilla. The welfare and safety of people aboard has to be a priority of the international community and the collective priority of those of us in this House.

I returned last week from UN General Assembly high-level week in New York, where the Middle East was a central focus of my agenda and the issue of the safety of the flotilla was very much to the fore of my mind. On 24 September, while in New York, I spoke directly to the EU's High Representative for foreign affairs and Vice President of the Commission, Kaja Kallas, and to EU counterparts about collectively raising our concerns in Tel Aviv and considering what can be done to ensure the safety and well-being of all those on board the flotilla. Today, I made further contact with the EU's High Representative and asked that she formally engage with Israeli authorities on this issue. I also raised the matter publicly in my intervention at the United Nations during a meeting of the global alliance for the implementation of the two-state solution. We will continue to raise our concerns through every available appropriate diplomatic channel and keep in close contact with my European counterparts, many of whose citizens are also on board the flotilla.

As Deputies will be aware, provision of consular assistance to Irish citizens is a cornerstone of the work of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and one in which I take great pride. My officials try to provide a range of help and support to citizens abroad in a transparent, confidential and professional manner. In this case, as in all cases, my clear priority and that of my Department is to ensure the welfare of Irish citizens. While my Department's travel advice has always been clear, in this case as in all, my clear priority and that of my Department is to ensure the welfare of our citizens. I am conscious that a number of the families of participants in the flotilla are present today. I extend a warm welcome to them all and acknowledge their concerns for their loved ones undertaking this arduous journey, particularly in light of reported attacks on the vessels last week. I look forward to having an opportunity to speak directly to them shortly. I reassure them and those listening, including some on the flotilla, that my Department continues to be available to all Irish citizens on board.

We have already taken a number of steps and will continue to take more steps as long as necessary. Our embassy in Tel Aviv has notified Israeli authorities of the presence of Irish citizens on board the flotilla. Embassy officials are also closely co-ordinating with colleagues locally. Our ambassador in Israel has conveyed our concerns directly to the Israeli authorities and reiterated our call that no unlawful act should be taken against those involved.

Our officials, both in Dublin and in the region, remain in ongoing and close contact with EU counterparts on the matter. I want to stress that point. There are more than 300 European citizens on this flotilla so working together at a European level is absolutely vital, with the European Union speaking very strongly on this considering there are citizens from almost every member state present on the flotilla. That is really important and a point I conveyed to High Representative, Ms Kallas.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has also liaised directly with the designated government point of contact for the Global Movement to Gaza flotilla delegation and will continue to do so. I want to thank the person acting as the government point of contact for the flotilla. It is an extraordinarily helpful and important contact point and one that we value.

When I spoke to Senator Chris Andrews, Deputy McDonald’s colleague who is a participant on the flotilla, in recent days, although we missed each other last night, I took the opportunity to reiterate to him my firm commitment to support the Irish citizens involved and asked that we keep in touch. I will continue to keep those lines of communication open. Today, I also expressed this same commitment to a Member of this House, Deputy Barry Heneghan, and the other Irish citizens on board the Thousand Madleens flotilla.

As we monitor the progress of the fleet of vessels taking part in the Global Sumud Flotilla, our focus remains on the appalling and horrific genocide we continue to witness in Gaza. I do not need to remind anyone in this House of the damning statistics, famine, children killed, tens of thousands left injured, disabled and thousands more missing who are buried under rubble. Fellow Deputies will, of course, also be aware of the conclusions of the UN Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. It is no longer our view, the view of this House, but the view of a UN commission of inquiry that there is genocide in Gaza. This is devastating and Ireland takes the finding extremely seriously. In this context, it is unsurprising and to their credit that many citizens feel moved to take action in response to the situation.

I truly hope, and we have been through these moments before, that yesterday's announcement is a step towards the peace that is so desperately needed. Progress is being made to secure an agreement that brings an end to the violence, the killing and famine in Gaza, secures the release of hostages and ensures vital humanitarian aid gets into Gaza. I welcome the sincere engagement of the states in the region, many of whom I had the opportunity to meet with directly in recent days, and their efforts to secure a path to peace and their work in engaging with the US, European countries and other international partners to advance this goal. This moment must be seized. The war has gone on for far too long. The human cost is unconscionable.

As the Global Sumud Flotilla continues on its journey through the Mediterranean we continue to closely monitor its passage and remain in contact with the participants and their designated representatives. Please be assured that the welfare of those Irish citizens involved remains my utmost priority and we will continue to work intensively, hourly, with our European and international counterparts to that end.

It is my hope that today will be an opportunity for Dáil Éireann to speak with one voice on the importance of ensuring the welfare and safety of the many Irish citizens and others aboard this flotilla. I am grateful we have all been able to work and pull together to bring forward and adopt this motion.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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I am sharing time with Deputy Mac Lochlainn. First I want to extend a welcome to the families and supporters of many of those who are on the flotilla. What we are witnessing is not a war. For 24 months, Israel has inflicted a barbaric genocidal attack against the impoverished, besieged people of Gaza. Netanyahu’s brutal military machine, funded, armed and supported by the United States, the European Union and Britain, has slaughtered tens of thousands of Palestinian children, women and men before the eyes of the world. Israel has perpetrated mass displacement of Gazans from their homes, sent families and communities running for their lives in a hellish situation with nowhere to go, others running with the dead remains of their children and loved ones in their arms. This is a relentless bombardment. Gaza has been razed to the ground with hospitals obliterated, along with schools, water and power systems and civilian infrastructure, wiping out entire neighbourhoods. Journalists, medical professionals, aid workers have all been attacked with impunity. They have weaponised hunger, forced mass starvation on the Gazan population and have exposed them to the spread of deadly disease. This barbarity is underscored by Israel’s merciless bombardment of Gaza city and Netanyahu’s perverse, despicable threat at the UN General Assembly that Israel is preparing to “finish the job” – to finish the job of genocide.

All of this captures the cruelty of what is really a crescendo moment of Israel’s eight-decade long apartheid against Palestinians. A callous system that dehumanises and brutalises the Palestinians into, they hope, submission and subjection. Then, yard by yard, mile by mile, the Israelis seek to steal the land of the Palestinian people. That is what this is all about. We should be clear – Israel could not carry out this genocide and occupation for so long and so savagely if it were not for the impunity gifted to Netanyahu’s regime by the international community and if it was not for the moral cowardice of the world’s most powerful in shamefully failing to confront this, the atrocity of our times.

It is against this backdrop, the spineless complicity of governments, that the courageous activists of the Global Sumud Flotilla set sail for Gaza. As the Tánaiste said, among their number is 22 Irish citizens, including our Oireachtas colleague, Sinn Féin Senator Chris Andrews. This is a peaceful mission of mercy. They sail to break an inhumane blockade of Gaza and to deliver the aid so urgently needed but it is also an act of absolute desperation and frustration with the inaction of governments and failure to act again and again no matter the horror or its extreme or extent. It seems Netanyahu and Israel can do what they want. Ireland should not pat ourselves on the back. Our people, yes; our activists, yes; our instinct, yes, but our power structures, no. They have been far too slow.

Israel’s drone strike on the flotilla was a violation of international law. That is the fact of the matter. That was an act of menace, of intimidation, of threat designed to foster fear among the activists and their families and supporters - the threat that they might pay with their very lives for daring to confront Israel and Netanyahu.

That was a week ago. What have the consequences of that breach of international law been? I want to know that. I think the families want to know that. If the Tánaiste wished to reassure all of us, including the families and the people on the flotilla, they want to know that there will be a clear challenge now to Israel and Netanyahu – not diplomatic niceties but a stark statement of facts that they can no longer with impunity break the law and take life from Palestinians and threaten the lives of Irish citizens and others. I want to know what the Tánaiste is going to do about all of this concretely. For a long time, this side of the House has called for the sanctioning of Israel. The case for that is made and beyond question but now, today and over the next 12 hours and 24 hours, what will the Oireachtas do and what will the Irish Government do to protect its citizens that are in harm’s way in the crosshairs of Netanyahu? What will be the concrete actions? I have not heard that yet and I know that is what the families want and deserve to hear.

Deputies:

Hear, hear.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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There have been eight decades of oppression, occupation and apartheid. Today there are six million Palestinian refugees throughout the Middle East. There are 750,000 Israeli settlers in illegal settlements. These are war crimes under international law. Israel ignored it. Apartheid has been defined by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. It is clearly apartheid and the world ignored it. Again and again, the world turned away.

It took a genocide of the scale we are seeing in Gaza for our State to officially recognise the Palestinian people. It took a genocide for us to do this. How many delays have seen to Senator Frances Black's legislation on the occupied territories and Deputy Brady's similar legislation? When we have inaction and complicity again and again internationally, Israel believes it can attack boats with human rights activists in international waters. This is why it believes it can get away with it every time. This is a moment for action. This is moment when a message is sent clearly. We have seen people queueing up for food, starving to death, who were murdered by the Israeli state. Is it any wonder that human rights activists are insisting they deliver the aid directly to the people in Gaza? Who could trust the Israeli state when it murders starving people, men, women and children queueing for food? What level of obscenity will it get to before we take actual action? This is the context for having 22 Irish citizens and 300 human rights activists from around the world in a flotilla. We need concrete action from our Government. We need an Israeli state that knows it cannot stop the flotilla.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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I will share time with my colleague Deputy Duncan Smith. On behalf of the Labour Party, I welcome the motion. I also express our solidarity with all those on the Global Sumud Flotilla. We think especially of the Irish activists on board the flotilla, including our colleagues in the Oireachtas, Deputy Barry Heneghan and Senator Chris Andrews from my constituency. I acknowledge the family members of those on the flotilla, and say they must be so worried about their family members who are on board but they should also be justifiably proud of those in the flotilla. We owe them an immense debt of gratitude for standing up and taking a courageous stance and calling out the brutal genocide being perpetrated by Israel upon the people of Gaza. The brave and courageous stance they are taking is important in a global context. I condemn outright the attacks on the flotilla perpetrated by Israel, a flagrant breach of international law. We can and must do more to call out Israel's actions on this.

As we all hope for a ceasefire and for a path to sustainable peace for the people of Palestine, we know Israel must be held accountable for the horrors it has inflicted on the people. More than 60,000 are dead and there is devastation, bombardment, man-made famine and children dying in their thousands. This cannot be allowed to continue and I express our solidarity with those in the flotilla who are calling it out, as we all must do in the House and throughout the country.

Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal East, Labour)
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The motion is not unimportant but it is a symbol of support. The flotilla itself is also a symbol but it is much more; it is actual action. It is an action towards developing and delivering a humanitarian corridor into Gaza, something which the international community has failed to do. If successful, it would be a counterbalance to the abhorrent Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, as set up by Israel and the United States.

We know an awful lot about turning symbols into action in this country. When South Africa was under apartheid, a group of Dunnes Stores workers became symbols for their action when they went on strike against the government of South Africa. Our neutrality, which we hold so dearly, is another symbol that we have turned into action throughout the world. Now, we must do the same again.

The Global Sumud Flotilla is a symbol of justice, peace and humanity but it is also an action. I speak for the House when I say that the rights of all citizens in the flotilla, including Irish citizens, to engage in peaceful international protest must be protected. Those taking part in the flotilla, including some of our public representatives, are exercising their right to stand for justice and peace in a non-violent manner. These activists are not a threat to the existence of Israel, as some in the Israeli Government are saying. They are not actors on behalf of Hamas, as the Israeli Government is saying. Senator Chris Andrews, whose commitment to this issue is decades long, and he should probably still be a Member of this House given his commitment to the issue, is not an actor for Hamas. Deputy Heneghan, despite some curious associations within the House, is not an actor for Hamas.

The medics, the activists and the humanitarians who are members of the flotilla deserve protection. Israeli language, as well as action, is about violence and escalation. Israeli authorities have characterised this mission as a publicity stunt; it is anything but. The most appropriate response to those claims is what was said by Greta Thunberg, perhaps one of the most potent threats to weak male leaders in the world. She is also part of the flotilla. She told the BBC, "I don't think anyone would risk their life for a publicity stunt." She also said that if people think it is a publicity stunt they should ask the people of Gaza whether they consider it a publicity stunt. Every single member of the flotilla is risking their lives with their actions at this moment.

Israel can insist all it wants that its blockade is necessary to prevent aid falling into the hands of Hamas. What absolute, utter nonsense. There is next to no aid getting in. The blockade Israel has imposed, which is backed up by the United States as well as others in the international community, is behind the widespread hunger, famine, ethnic cleansing and genocide against which the flotilla is standing up.

We have seen a number of countries send naval vessels to protect the flotilla. It is our view we should send our own naval vessel, at the very least in an observational capacity. Our role as peacekeepers is respected globally. In a debate last night we saw a presidential candidate bash his shoulder, where the Irish flag was once sewn, and speak about how proud he was of neutrality and his role in peacekeeping. Let us fly the flag above an Irish ship and protect not only Irish citizens but all of the citizens in the flotilla. This would be an action. This would not need a UN mandate or breach the triple lock. Operation Pontus in the Mediterranean Sea did not breach the triple lock and this is a precedent for such action.

The flotilla is approximately four days from reaching Gaza but there is an expectation, or a sense or fear, that we could have an interception tonight. It has been a week since the attacks on the flotilla but we are less than 12 or 24 hours away from seeing further violence, interception or, perhaps worse. What happens then? We do not know. What we do know is that international law must be respected at all times and at all costs. The Israeli Government has not respected international law when it comes to the flotilla. It has breached every single kind of international law with its bombardment of Gaza for almost two years and its strangling of aid getting into Gaza since March. We must be clear that any activity targeting civilians or humanitarian workers is unacceptable to the Irish people. As one of the family members said in our meeting less than an hour ago, the Irish people are carrying the pride of the Irish view when it comes to Palestinian solidarity, and the Irish Government is not because it is not acting quickly enough on the occupied territories Bill or to protect the members of the flotilla. It is the Irish people who are carrying the pride and the stance of Ireland when it comes to Palestinian solidarity. We need real action now. I hope that following this symbolic motion we will see it.

Holly Cairns (Cork South-West, Social Democrats)
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I welcome the families of the brave Irish citizens on board the flotilla, who are in the Gallery today. I cannot imagine how proud they must be, and how scared they must be for their safety. We are all here today united in our demands that the genocide in Gaza must end, that the blockade must be lifted, that aid should be allowed to flow freely, and that no harm should be done to those on board the Global Sumud Flotilla.

On Saturday, 42 boats and 532 citizens set out to do what governments all over the world should have done. Every person on board those boats, including Senator Chris Andrews and Deputy Barry Heneghan, are there with the understanding that their lives are at risk, knowing that there is little Israel will not do to retain its stranglehold on Gaza. They are onboard regardless, carrying food for a starving nation gripped by famine.

They are also carrying medical supplies for the over 168,000 injured and, perhaps most importantly of all, they are carrying hope for the Palestinian people and for all of us around the world who have felt so helpless watching an unchecked genocide happen before our eyes. If the flotilla succeeds and they reach the Palestinian people, that moment would be one of utter strength and humanity. It would puncture the feeling of powerlessness that has gripped so many of us. It would be all too clear that ending this conflict is possible. That is why Israel is fearful of the flotilla. Israel sees peaceful acts of resistance as a threat. All oppressors do.

The flotilla is currently around 210 miles from the coast of Gaza and only 60 miles out from the so-called "orange line" beyond which Israel has been known to intercept boats and kidnap those onboard in complete violation of international law. This, therefore, is the crucial moment where those on board need our help. They need the eyes of Ireland and the world on the flotilla because witness is protection.

This is not just about the safety of those aboard the boats. It is about the over 66,000 dead and the destruction of a country and a people. It is about our collective humanity and the integrity of international law in the face of a genocide. I appeal to the Government to use every possible means we have to act in support of the flotilla, to engage with the Italian and Spanish Governments, whose navies are currently providing protection from illegal drone strikes, to urgently send a humanitarian mission in case of risk of injury to Irish citizens, to work with other countries to arrange an urgent observer mission, to ensure international pressure is brought down on Israel to let the flotilla proceed safely and to work as hard as we can to provide hope and support to the Palestinian people.

Sinéad Gibney (Dublin Rathdown, Social Democrats)
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I too welcome this joint motion and express my solidarity with everybody aboard the flotilla. I welcome the families of those Irish people on board those 40 boats. I will use my time to recall why these people are on the flotilla in the first place. Across those 40 boats, there are people from all over the world including politicians, artists, activists and ordinary people. They are united by a love for humanity and for the international rules-based order that we have failed to protect and that is ignored by the US and Israel in carrying out this genocidal campaign, and in time and again committing the most horrific of war crimes with impunity before our very eyes on the Palestinian people, whose right to self-determination and to existence itself has been met with violence and erasure for so long. Those on the flotilla are there because their governments, including the Irish Government, have failed to lift the blockade while men, women and children are starved and bombed. While we highlight the danger facing these people, we must also highlight that their message; the risk they take and the danger they face pales in comparison to what is faced by ordinary people in Gaza, who did not choose to take any risks, who simply had the bad luck to be Palestinian and who are at the mercy of the genocidal Israeli regime.

The importance of ending the blockade cannot be overemphasised. Every day, food that we have sent as aid rots at checkpoints and warehouses while, a few kilometres away, people starve. Babies left with no parents by bombs are left with no formula by our failure. People die needlessly because they lack the most basic medicines, pain relief, shelter and clean water. When I speak with Irish healthcare workers, the stories they tell me are harrowing. They tell me of trying to treat patients and save lives in a health system that has collapsed, that has been bombed and that is threatened. We must not allow the destruction of a people to continue without doing everything in our power to lift that siege.

I will speak briefly to the peace plan that was recently announced. This US peace plan, like any peace plan, is good news, but we need to reflect on the reality of the situation. It is not a peace agreement yet. Input from the people of Gaza has not yet been engaged. Trump and Netanyahu's ultimatum threatening consequences should it not be accepted fills me with dread as the people of Gaza are once again threatened with annihilation in a process in which they have no voice. We have been here before. We must always push for peace and diplomacy but we do not need an agreement to be in place to prevent and stop genocide. In fact, we have an obligation under international law not to stand by or to wait and see. We have a positive obligation to do something.

As regards what we can do to protect those brave humanitarians and support the flotilla, while this motion is very welcome, it is necessary to fulfil our obligations to the 22 brave Irish citizens, which include Members of these Houses, who are risking their lives on the flotilla. There is so much more we can do. We need to engage diplomatically with the Spanish and Italian authorities, which have launched observer missions. We need to step up, if needs be, to provide whatever financial and logistical support we can. We have used our voice on the world stage before to come together to ensure safe passage and an end to siege. I admire the courage of those on the flotilla but, to honour it, we must match that courage with our own. We can and should act decisively.

I will conclude with a point I have made in every contribution I have made on Gaza in the year I have been a TD, starting with my maiden speech. The Irish Government has a unique mandate not matched by any other government across the world. The solidarity and volume of the voice of the Irish people with the people of Palestine as they go through these horrors gives the Government something no other government has: a clear mandate without obfuscation to act. I urge it to do so.

Brian Stanley (Laois, Independent)
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I welcome the families of those who are on the flotilla. I express my solidarity and my support for what they are doing. What Israel has got away with over the past 80 years is nearly beyond words. Within the past 23 months, it has illegally bombed Iran, it has bombed Qatar, literally blowing up the negotiating table, it has bombed southern Lebanon, levelling large parts of it, and, of course, it has levelled Gaza, leaving more than 66,000 people dead. Some estimates say that up to 10,000 people could be buried under the rubble. We must condemn those attacks on civilians. We must also condemn what is happening to the people on the flotilla, including the attacks on them by drones sent by the Israelis in recent days. The courageous people on the flotilla are doing their utmost to expose the fact that we need a corridor open on a human rights basis to get food into Gaza. Trucks laden with food stand at the gates of Gaza. Inside, over 2 million people are starving. Words cannot describe what is happening.

We must demand that action be taken against Israel for what it is doing. We must ensure that action is taken in relation to the flotilla. I ask the Government to do everything it can to protect those on the flotilla. We must do everything possible to end the genocide. The starvation and bloodshed Netanyahu has caused in the past 23 months are beyond words. All hostages need to be released, including those belonging to the Palestinians. There are thousands of Palestinian imprisoned in inhuman conditions in Israeli jails. They are also hostages. I recognise and acknowledge that the Government has done a certain amount but we must pass the occupied territories Bill quickly. We also need to use all diplomatic options to protect the flotilla. The Government needs to press for an end to the EU-Israeli trade agreement. I know that it has been trying to get other governments on board. It should continue with that. That is welcome but we need to do everything we can. Along with others, this Government needs to use its power to get Israeli Government members in front of the International Criminal Court when this is over to face justice for what they have inflicted on these people over the past 80 years.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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I thank the relatives for being here and for the sacrifices they themselves are making, including extra familial responsibilities and the worry they are going through. I thank them for the sacrifice their relatives are making in putting themselves in danger. The flotilla they are participating in is at the vanguard of a global uprising of millions of people against genocide, Zionism and imperialism.

It helped to inspire a 24-hour general strike of Italian workers that, in turn, put pressure on the Italian Government to send naval ships. Spain then came under pressure. Türkiye also came under pressure to send ships. The strength of the flotilla is that it is people acting. Incredibly, 28,000 people volunteered to participate in the flotilla and put their lives on the line. That speaks to the skill of the global movement. They have acted while governments like our own have failed to act and other governments in the west act to arm, fund and support genocide.

Israel is scared of the flotilla; there is no question about that. Let us consider the smear campaign describing it as a jihadist initiative and a Hamas flotilla and calling the participants terrorists. I read a tweet from an Israeli ministry, which had a picture of George Galloway beside someone else stating it was a particular person but, in fact, it was someone else entirely. That was presented as evidence that this is a Hamas flotilla. In a way, it is laughable and ridiculous, but it is very scary because it is a lie designed to prepare the ground to justify the kind of actions that happened on the MV Mavi Marmara in 2010.

It is why we have to say to the Government that, while it is welcome that we are all coming together, we in People Before Profit have signed up to a motion with which we do not fully agree. We think it is unbalanced and does not reference the almost 10,000 Palestinian hostages. It approves the New York declaration, which denies the right of Palestinian people to choose their own representatives. We signed up to it so that we can have joint words, but where will the action be? At the very least, will the Government not agreed to send an observer on the legal boat. The Government has to act.

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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I want to welcome the families and relatives to the Gallery. They are here because of what is happening in Palestine. Yesterday, a nurse was shot on the job. I have seen kids carrying other kids on their backs. It is a common sight. The worst I saw was a kid carrying a shrouded dead sibling on their back. The fact that governments have allowed this genocide to happen is a stain on the world.

This has been an eye-opener for so many people. It has been the most politicised issue of this generation, like Vietnam was for previous generations. People have gone on the flotilla because they see the inaction and inability of the official system to act. We have seen the worst of humanity and the best of humanity. The best of humanity is on the likes of the flotilla, where people have given their time and risked their lives to act.

I want to salute the working class of Italy for waging a general strike this week and blockading arms and other military materials, despite their leader supporting Israel, in effect. There were protests in Spain. In Berlin, 100,000 people protested despite their government's appalling repression of the solidarity movement. Türkiye, Spain, Italy and Greece are also sending drones to watch over the flotilla, but what is the Government doing? There are drones flying burgers over Blanchardstown, but could we not do something to help?

I want to mention the peace deal that has been talked about. The trio of some of the world's worst humans is behind that peace deal. Tony Blair is a war criminal. Netanyahu is a war criminal. Trump is a war criminal for funding a genocide. Let us be clear. Anything they carve up will not be in the interests of the Palestinian people. It is up to the Palestinian people to decide their fate, not these imperial warlords. I marched against Tony Blair 20 years ago. Kids walked out of the school I taught in 20 years ago to protest a war in Iraq he led illegally that led to hundreds of thousands of deaths. He should not be anywhere near Palestine or the so-called Middle East, which is a colonial phrase in and of itself. The Government should deliver that message on behalf of the Irish people.

Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)
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Today we are speaking about the Global Sumud Flotilla, a civilian led humanitarian mission currently en route to Gaza. The flotilla, made up of vessels from over 40 countries, is carrying medical supplies, food and essential aid to a population facing catastrophic conditions. This is not a political statement; this is a humanitarian one. The people involved are doctors, nurses and aid workers. Their cargo is not weapons, but rather antibiotics, baby formula, surgical kits, food and clean water. The goal is simple, namely, to alleviate suffering.

Since March, Gaza's borders have been closed to aid. Hospitals are overwhelmed. Disease is spreading and famine conditions are worsening. The flotilla represents a global effort to respond where traditional channels have failed. Last week, I listened to "Morning Ireland" where a doctor who had just returned from Gaza spoke about the distress he had endured. He had moved his family to another country to keep them safe and said he was one of the lucky ones. Despite having money, he could not buy food because there was none to buy. Another doctor who was interviewed on Irish radio described the dire medical shortages. He said they had no gauze, and were forced to squeeze out the blood from used gauze and reuse it. That is the level of desperation we are talking about.

Ireland has a unique perspective on famine. During the Great Irish Famine of the 1840s, over 1 million people died and another million emigrated. While food was available, it was not accessible to those who needed it most. Aid was slow, inconsistent and often politicised. The lessons of that time are clear. When people are starving, delay is deadly. We also remember Choctaw Nation who, in 1847, despite their own hardship, sent aid to Ireland. That active solidarity has never been forgotten today. We have an opportunity to reflect that same spirit.

The Global Sumud Flotilla is an echo of that kind of solidarity. It is a peaceful mission, grounded in humanitarian law and moral duty, yet it faces threats of interception, drone surveillance and obstruction. Some vessels have already been damaged and others have been forced to reroute, but the mission continues. All of us in the Independent Ireland party publicly support the humanitarian nature of the Global Sumud Flotilla. All of us in the Independent Ireland party call for safe and unhindered passage for all humanitarian aid vessels. All of us in the Independent Ireland party reaffirm Ireland's unwavering commitment to international humanitarian law and the protection of civilians in conflict zones.

This is not about taking sides. Rather, it is about standing for human dignity, medical neutrality and the principle that no child should die for lack of medicine or food. Ireland's neutrality has always been a platform for peace and humanitarian action. Let us use it now, not with silence but with support. We call for peace, not just a pause in fighting, but a meaningful and lasting peace, one that allows communities to rebuild, children to grow and hospitals to heal.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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Some 66,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel's bloody war on the people of Gaza. Dozens of men, women and children are being killed on a daily basis. Hospitals, schools, refugee centres and churches are being bombed by the IDF. Bombs are literally atomising families in tents. We have never before seen this number of journalists, doctors, nurses and UN staff being killed in large numbers by the IDF.

Food is being denied to the whole nation as a tool of war in order to starve the people of Gaza, which is unbelievable. Gaza is being systematically levelled. The IDF is unconstrained in its bloody retribution by any humanitarian consideration. Netanyahu's bloody war has been allowed to happen as a result of the US and many countries in the EU doing as little as possible. The truth of the matter is that western countries have underwritten this action. Many western countries have offered a blank cheque to the IDF to continue this war, and that is something that is a stain on the international community and the rule of law, which will haunt the west for many years.

It is important that we in Ireland take a strong stance on this. I have been asked many times why this matters to Irish people. It matters because Irish people see themselves in the eyes of Palestinians. Irish people have gone through occupation for many centuries at the hands of a far more powerful neighbour and have suffered enormous violence associated with that occupation. We have suffered a strategic famine that was levelled on the country in an effort to reduce the population.

It is incredible that Ireland is one of the few countries in the world whose population is still out of its normal growth trend because of that famine. We see ourselves very clearly reflected in the eyes of the Palestinian people. Midway through this conflict I was looking at the screen and like many people I could not understand why western countries were not dropping food into Palestine. I cannot think of another location on the planet where such violence and starvation would exist where the West would not have taken the step to airdrop food into a location to make sure people survived. It did not happen, though. It is incredible that it has taken a flotilla of citizens, a group of volunteers, to do the job the international community would not do. This flotilla is embarrassing the international community for its inaction. Incredibly, that flotilla has come under drone attack. It is a really serious international incident that has not been pushed back on to the level it should have been. There have been a few shards of light in this horrendous crisis. The flotilla is a significant one, and the recognition of the State of Palestine by other western countries is another one of those few positives that have happened recently.

The Government has been stronger than the EU on this issue, but it has been weaker than the Irish people on this issue too. I urge the Government as well to make sure it sends some form of observation in relation to this flotilla. Aontú wants to see the occupied territories Bill implemented as soon as possible and the Government take a harder stance with the US and the EU on this issue.

Not only is Gaza being levelled but Israel is destabilising its own future. This is the truth of the matter. It is creating an enormous crisis. There is no doubt that atomising children in a tent will not lead to peace. It will lead to the radicalisation of people against Israel. We know that in this country: "...the fools, the fools. They have left us our Fenian dead ...". We know the fact of the matter is that by killing people, peace is not created; a response in return is actually created. The criminal government of Netanyahu is destroying the opportunity for a two-state solution and a peaceful outcome in that region.

Brian Brennan (Wicklow-Wexford, Fine Gael)
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I welcome the cross-party motion. I welcome the families and I can only imagine the stress they are going through. I have a constituent, Caitríona Graham, whose mother has been down to me in Arklow and has been in touch regularly. I have been on to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade directly and I really feel it is totally on top of the situation, but I ask it to continue to be that way because it must be absolutely heart-wrenching. I must also mention Senator Andrews and Deputy Heneghan. We might not agree on everything, but they are our colleagues and that is so important too. We meet them on the corridors and we have chats. I can only imagine what they are going through this evening as well.

Let us be very clear: 7 October should not have happened and the hostages should be released. We have never witnessed anything like this in our lifetime. We have never witnessed such a devastating genocide, which has been livestreamed to our very homes. This is where we have seen starvation being used as a weapon of war. Everyone has the right to eat and access food. What we are witnessing is hell on earth, while only miles away, trucks are sitting there bursting with food and supplies.

This war would not happen without the billions of dollars in foreign support and arms. Governments, including our own, must take a moral responsibility. Why did so many countries in the international community just sit on their hands and witness so many killings of the innocents? Why does Israel need to kill journalists? The media is only targeted when the enemy is the truth. It is killing medics. There were 36 hospitals targeted in Gaza. There are only 36 hospitals in Gaza. Then, there is the killing of children. Some 18,000 children that we know of have died. Of those, 1,800 were under the age of one. Those 1,800 children were killed before they could walk. What in God's name can a five-year-old do? Why kill children? I spoke to somebody last week and they put it very clearly. This is actually not about Palestine; it is about the way we want to live. Do we want to see wars and mass starvations, controlled by multimillionaires and their lobbyists sitting in their ivory towers? Is that the way the world is going to go? This is not a war. This is a test and, my God, have many nations in this world failed it.

I visited Egypt in the past few weeks. I sat on a bed with somebody who is dying because of what is happening in Gaza. I played football with orphans out there who lost their parents because of what happened in Gaza. I held the hand of a two-year-old child who had bullet wounds because of what happened in Gaza. This is so wrong on so many levels. I took two things back from there when I got on the plane home. The first was the knowledge people had of the support and the lead given by the Irish people - and Deputies are right about that - but also the Irish Government. The second was the memory of those teenagers who had half the body weight of normal teenagers and their anger and annoyance at having seen their parents, brothers and sisters having been killed. What will they be like when they are 21 and 22 and they hold on to that anger? That is my fear, not for Israel but for the world when we unleash these angry young men and women on it.

We are a small nation. We have stood up, but we have to continue to stand up. Let us just pray for a ceasefire. A lot has happened in the past 24 hours, but it is very hard to see a long-term resolution unless everyone is around the table.

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I join with everyone in acknowledging the friends, family and supporters of those on the flotilla who join us in the Gallery. I thank them as representatives of their loved ones, but also for their own advocacy.

In closing today’s session, I echo the sentiments expressed throughout the House in conveying my deep concern over reports of attacks on the flotilla and take this opportunity to reiterate that no unlawful or violent acts should be undertaken against those involved. In his earlier remarks, the Tánaiste set out the range of diplomatic and political actions that have been taken to ensure the safety of Irish citizens aboard the flotilla, as well as the consular services provided.

In the four minutes or so I have, I am going to try my best to try to reply constructively to some of the points made by the Deputies opposite, from all parties and none, as well as to relay a message I received from Deputy Barry Heneghan when we spoke this morning. He is on the Thousand Madleens to Gaza flotilla. He asked me to convey to the House, because he could not be here to do so himself, that this is first and foremost a humanitarian exercise. We heard in Deputy Smith's contribution exactly why that must be. We are witnessing a man-made famine that can be reversed by the actions of man. We are seeing children emaciated on our television every night. As the Minister of State with special responsibility for international development, it is important for me to put on the record the exact notion that due to the actions of the Israeli Government this is the most dangerous year in the history of mankind to be a humanitarian aid worker. More than 350 humanitarian aid workers have been killed in this calendar year. Last week, at the UN, I joined the Australian foreign minister to sign a declaration to say, "No more and let us work against it".

There are so many brave humanitarians in Gaza. They are supported by the Irish Government, through the World Food Programme, through UNRWA and, indeed, through the air drops that Deputy Tóibín mentioned. These air drops have been carried out, by friendly nations in the Arab world and by our friends in Belgium. We have supported them, but yet still we see humanitarians, nurses, workers and everyone else, victims of assassinations and death.

In relation to Deputies Cairns and Gibney who asked us to engage with our counterparts, this is already being done with, obviously, the Spanish Government, which we have worked closely with over the past 18 months through the Tánaiste, but also with all EU member states and the EU institutions, as the Tánaiste laid out in relation to his contact with Kaja Kallas.

In relation to Deputy Stanley's point on the EU-Israel trade association agreement, the results of the next European Council meeting are something that we are working on proactively at present. I was lucky to join the Tánaiste, the Taoiseach and, indeed, Deputy Brennan at the UN General Assembly. There was a special informal Foreign Affairs Council meeting of EU Ministers. Every waking hour is being dedicated to make sure that the minor, I would suggest, but first step, proposals from the European Commission President are passed using QMV. We will continue to work at that. I am assured by the Tánaiste that we will have a version of the occupied territories Bill on the floor of this House extremely soon.

Deputy Murphy and I have known each other for well over 20 years. We very rarely agree, but when we do, good things can happen. I remember being on that march with the Deputy and Deputy Coppinger over 20 years ago during the time of the Iraq War and there are various other referendums we can cite. I acknowledge the Deputy's previous involvement in other flotillas and his commitment to this. The points that the Deputy raises are true. I refer to our ongoing co-operation with EU member states that are carrying out the work that the Deputy is doing. We very much are open to all suggestions.

On the Order of Business earlier this afternoon, Deputy Mac Lochlainn raised the point in relation to a need for flexibility. We will have a long debate on Gaza tomorrow. As we enter the hours of darkness here - they are already in darkness in the Mediterranean - we hope and pray that as the 60-mile limit is reached, nothing untoward happens to anyone and the actions that have previously been taken by the Israeli war machine are not repeated. Tomorrow, we will wake and see what happens and hear what is reported on the news. People are in contact with the designated contact person from the flotilla, of course, with the families, with the loved ones and with other Government agencies and observers. During tomorrow's debate, we will obviously have to be, from a Government point of view, open to suggestions to work. When we work as a collective in the Dáil, we are able to disagree on certain things but agree on the big issues and thereby make an impactful statement, as has been made by Deputies across here. I give the House that undertaking here today. We can respond in kind but we hope we will not need to respond.

This debate brings out the depth of feeling in this Chamber collectively, and outside the Chamber to a greater extent, about the genocide that is happening against the people of Gaza and how we must continue not only to speak out, but also to act out. To Deputy McDonald's point, we will continue to act out. We are more than happy to co-operate to continue to further every move going forward.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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On that note, will the Government meet with the families to set out specifically what it is doing?

Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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They were listening to the debate, so the Government might-----

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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We have already arranged it.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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That has been arranged, I understand.