Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

In welcoming colleagues back I must strike a sombre note, a really tragic note, by saying that over the summer things have gravely deteriorated in Gaza to the extent we have 40 dead that we know of and 120 as an indirect consequence of the lack of supplies and hospitalisation. I have this from NGOs. Some 120 are collaterally deceased, making a total of 160. We have so many injuries and the place is razed to the ground. It is a horror, it is genocide and it is shocking. There is no other word for it. There have been so many efforts to achieve a ceasefire and it is clear there is no serious intent there. It is shocking. It has escalated, to some extent, to the West Bank and to Lebanon over the past number of days, with 580 deaths yesterday. It is a horror.

I ask the Leader for a very urgent debate on it. I cannot think of any greater humanitarian crisis. There is Sudan and Ukraine, which are shocking crises too, but let us take this. I request a debate on it with the Tánaiste to talk about where Europe is at now and where Ireland is at. Clear, targeted sanctions against Israel are necessary. Cessation of the supply of munitions is necessary. This has to escalate on an international stage as a crisis to be dealt with. It would seem there is no real serious intent to have peace and that has to be shocking state of affairs that needs addressing. I ask the Leader that we have this debate. During the debate the Tánaiste could perhaps set out exactly what Europe is doing and what we can possibly input to that. In a general sense both the Tánaiste and the Taoiseach have been unambiguous on this issue, but we need a set of targeted responses now. It has to end. It is shocking, getting worse and looks like developing into a full-scale regional war.