Tom Brabazon (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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11. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade her views and those of other EU ministers for foreign affairs in relation to post-ceasefire attacks in Gaza. [66462/25]

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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I simply want to ask the Minister her views, and those of her EU counterparts, in relation to the post-ceasefire attacks in Gaza.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Achieving a just and lasting settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has been a priority for this Government, with Ireland’s foreign policy on this issue clear and consistent and grounded in the commitment to upholding international law. The agreement on a ceasefire and the hostage deal represents welcome progress. It has brought desperately-needed respite to Palestinians in Gaza and relief to the people of Israel, although we all know it is a very fragile ceasefire and something that needs to be worked on. I commend the efforts of the US, as well as Qatar, Türkiye and Egypt, in securing this much-needed agreement. I also commend efforts to progress implementation of what has been agreed. The international community, Ireland included, must play its part if these efforts are to succeed.

In this context, the adoption of a resolution on Gaza by the UN Security Council, the first in many years, is a further step towards implementation of the peace plan. The ceasefire is nevertheless fragile, as I have mentioned, and must be preserved. All parties must adhere to their commitments in full. It is clear that this is not happening, given the fact that many innocent civilians have been killed, even in recent days. All parties must desist from any actions inconsistent with what has been agreed and continue to negotiate in good faith to ensure full implementation. Our current focus is on supporting efforts to build up this fragile ceasefire and we call on all parties to work to ensure peace efforts are successful and to refrain from further violence. The primary focus at EU level right now is ensuring the success of the ceasefire and the peace deal and on making contributions to international efforts.

We also must urgently address the humanitarian situation on the ground in Gaza. I mentioned this before. We had an update at the Council earlier last week where we were told that over 40,000 young children are still at risk of starvation. While there is a significant increase in the number of humanitarian trucks allowing aid to flow into Gaza, it is nowhere near enough. I reiterate that I intend to write to the EU High Representative to see what further political pressure Europe and all of our counterparts can put on Israel to make sure it lifts the significant blockade on some of the aid that is due to get in. These were among the issues discussed at the most recent Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels last Monday.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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One could not but be quite surprised at what has happened. We welcome the ceasefire, although it is a ceasefire of sorts, that has happened in Gaza but we are aware of the fact that slaughter of the innocents still continues and we do not, in truth, have a full and total ceasefire. Gaza's health ministry reported that more than 300 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli fire and nearly 900 injured since the ceasefire agreement came into effect on 10 October. The situation needs to be continuously monitored. I mentioned surprise. I refer to surprise that the Trump involvement achieved welcome progress in this particular matter, while the international architecture we have put in place to deal with conflict had failed and failed abysmally. Instead, we see the Trump regime, with all its weaknesses and peculiarities, achieving something in Gaza.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy is right to highlight the fact that the ceasefire at the moment is very clearly being breached in some instances but we also need to make sure our focus does not get averted from what is happening in the West Bank. I raised with colleagues last week that the number of people who have been killed in the West Bank in the last two years alone is almost as many as those who have been killed in the last 20 years. There has been an escalation of violence within the West Bank and we need to consistently call this out and do everything in our power to make sure this can be responded to adequately. The suspension of preferential tariffs via the association agreement is still on the table because Ireland and other member states have pushed for that to be the case.

We cannot allow either side or party to the peace agreement to breach that in the way they are consistently doing, so we need to make sure that there are levers still available to us to respond to these changes. Of course, from our perspective, we will continue to provide aid that is very much needed, not just in terms of humanitarian aid and the trucks that are flowing in, but also other financing that is now going to be needed to rebuild Gaza. We must make sure that we can focus on that and that it is a priority when we talk about a ceasefire and a lasting peace.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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The question of aid is of vital importance. We cannot ignore the fact, for example, that the Israelis have not yet agreed to open the Rafah crossing, and that the aid is accessing the Palestinian people via a variety of much smaller entry points.

Irish people would like to know if we can be confident that the aid we are providing is getting to the people of Gaza. Irish people have been very generous in their support of the people there and they want to be confident that the aid is reaching those who so desperately need it.

In terms of the pursuit of a long-term solution to this particular problem, it is obvious that the war - the murder and mayhem - has claimed the attention of all entities dealing with this, but how far are we from sitting down internationally to begin to engage on a long-term solution to the problems?

Brian Brennan (Wicklow-Wexford, Fine Gael)
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I spoke previously about the fact that I flew to Egypt and met people on the ground. I have kept in touch with these people, including in recent weeks. I am very concerned about the word "ceasefire" because that is not the feeling on the ground.

I have two huge concerns. The first is the level of aid getting through. The second is the rebuilding process. What is the plan to rebuild? We must also look at the rebuilding of the people - the young people - who have gone through this horrific war. We must look at the build-up to this before October. These kids have grown up with the sound of bombs in their ears. If we do not do something about the rebuilding of the young people, we are going to have a major issue around the world. They will be angry young men and women. They will be unleashed on the world unless they get help.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The immediate challenge is that there are tens of thousands of children who will starve to death if we do not increase the number of aid trucks that are flowing through. It is important to say that Irish aid trucks are getting through. Our officials have been on the ground and have been able to verify that, whether it is tents, food or medicine that is being provided, but we need substantially more. There are blockages being put in the way by Israel and we need that to change. I will do everything that I can and use my voice and work with colleagues to ensure that the aid increases.

In terms of the rebuilding of Gaza, in my meeting last week, we also had the first meeting with the Palestinian Authority and the Prime Minister and members of the Palestinian Authority who attended, with members from the Middle East, Europe and beyond. I specifically raised the fact that €3 billion in tax revenues are being withheld by Israel that should be going directly to Palestine, which would significantly help with the rebuilding, the investment in hospitals that is so badly needed and support for schools and young people. I will continue to raise this and many more issues, but we will also continue to ensure that aid is provided. Once the ceasefire agreement was reached, €6 million was committed by this Government to provide aid directly to Palestinian people. That aid is getting through, albeit, again, not at the rate we want it to.