Sinéad Gibney (Dublin Rathdown, Social Democrats)
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89. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade in the context of the recent ceasefire, the steps Ireland is taking to pursue accountability over the genocide in Gaza, and the continued occupation of the West Bank; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57171/25]

Sinéad Gibney (Dublin Rathdown, Social Democrats)
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I know we all welcome the ceasefire in Gaza, fragile as it is, as we heard this evening, but it is disheartening that Palestinians continue to die at the hands of Israel. With continuing illegal annexation of the West Bank and the Tánaiste's own words calling what happened in Gaza a genocide, what is he doing to seek accountability for these crimes against humanity?

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

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

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

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

Sinéad Gibney (Dublin Rathdown, Social Democrats)
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With respect, the Government has kicked the occupied territories Bill down the road. It appears set to exclude services, despite that being legally necessary and legally possible and recommended by Government backbenchers on the Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade. The ceasefire does not negate the ICJ ruling on the occupied territories, neither do statements on difficulties with services. We already have to differentiate on services from the occupied Palestinian territories under the EU-Israel association agreement, so it can be done.

Just as pressing and as important is the need not to forget that Israel committed genocide in Gaza. We all want a world where genocide does not happen. For that to be a reality, we need to create that world. We need to create accountability and we need to show that there are consequences for states that commit genocide, so what is the Government doing to fulfil that obligation with regard to Israel?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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We are taking action under the International Court of Justice. That is how it works. That is how we hold people to account at international level. We support the international courts and make a submission. It used to be the demand of the Opposition that we would do that. We have done that. We remain committed in respect of that but we also remain committed to the peace plan. I presume that is a plan the Deputy supports. We have to give this plan an opportunity. We have to give the opportunity for peace. Yes, we must pursue accountability and, yes, Israel has committed genocide. I do not dispute those facts at all. Yes, we will continue with the case before the ICJ and work with South Africa. We will continue to support the ICC. All of that is true but it is also true and reasonable to say to the starving people of Gaza today that our priority now is flooding Gaza with humanitarian aid. Our priority now is making sure that the peace plan works and that will involve Israel living up to its obligations but also Hamas. It needs to get off the stage. It needs to disarm. It has no future under this peace plan. There is no future for a terrorist organisation. We know what it is like in this country to have our identity hijacked by a terrorist organisation that offer the people of this country no future. Hamas now needs to get off the stage and give the Palestinian people a chance.

Sinéad Gibney (Dublin Rathdown, Social Democrats)
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Of course I support the peace and of course we also support the priority of delivering aid to the starving people of Palestine, but that does not remove the elephant in the room of the occupied territories Bill, because that is the very tangible way we can enact sanctions and action against Israel. The aid and leadership we provided are very welcome, but people are keen to hear that, just because there is a ceasefire, that does not mean we continue to trade with illegal Israeli settlements in violation of international law. Just because there is a ceasefire does not mean Israel is not in violation of human rights clauses in the EU-Israel association agreement. Just because there is a ceasefire does not mean that the genocide did not happen and that people and nations should not be held accountable, because the ceasefire has not meant an end to the injustice, occupation and the killing of Palestinians. It is on us to press for action when many would be more comfortable moving on and pretending it is all fine now. Our eyes are open. We cannot say we did not know and we must not say that we did not act.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Fundamentally I do not disagree with what the Deputy said. I would like to see the occupied Palestinian territories not occupied. I would like to see a Palestinian state. I would like to see a peace plan that provides an opportunity for a state of Palestine alongside a state of Israel and people living in peace and security in both of them, so yes, we should move ahead with the occupied Palestinian territories but we should also use every bit of diplomatic heft we have in Ireland, the EU and the UN and work with our Arab friends and colleagues to try to end the occupation of the occupied Palestinian territories.

We have to focus on that too - and I know we agree on that - but we remain committed to the legislation. I outlined that to the House tonight. I will be back with an update shortly on it. However, we are also saying that in a different context from the one we were in only a number of weeks ago. The Deputy is right that the genocide cannot be forgotten or undone. There has to be accountability. I do not dispute any of that, but we also have a chance now, albeit a fragile one, to try to secure peace and implement the peace plan. There is no plan B. That is why we have to put our shoulders to the wheel on that too.