Tom Clonan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

On our return to the House, I wish to raise Israel’s escalation of the conflict in the Middle East.I highlight to the House that in the past 36 hours, Israel has launched three separate waves of airstrikes across south Lebanon, deep into the Beqaa Valley, and striking targets in Beirut, in Dahieh province, which is a suburb. In that period, Israel has slaughtered more than 500 people. As of this morning, I think it is in excess of 600 civilians, including 100 women and more than 50 children. This is the femicide and the infanticide that was wrought upon Gaza, writ large again in Lebanon.

Let me be very clear, with the pager attack, when we get past the technological aspects and its perceived ingenuity, it was simply improvised explosive devices dispersed across a large part of the population and detonated simultaneously. That falls within the definition of a terrorist attack. Netanyahu has signalled very clearly, that in his impending assault on Lebanon, he has abandoned the rules-based order and the laws of armed conflict. He is telling the Lebanese that what he did in Gaza he will do in Lebanon, throughout their country. In the last 36 hours, that figure of 600 people killed matches exactly - to use the appalling calculus of Netanyahu and those who enable him - the casualty rate of Gaza, which has led to the deaths of more than 40,000 people. What a figure. Imagine, 40,000 people butchered.

In discussions with a previous Israeli ambassador, she said to me that the Israelis never retaliated against Germany for what the Nazis did and in fact Israel built up relations with the German Government. This was the first country Israel established formal relations with but Israelis are able to distinguish between Germans and the Nazis. However, Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant and others in his cabinet, who describe Palestinians as "human animals", refuse to distinguish between Palestinians, Gazans and Hamas and they refuse now to distinguish between ordinary Lebanese civilians and Hezbollah. There will be an invasion, mark my words, between now and 7 October, the anniversary of the despicable, genocidal attack by Hamas on Israel. In the middle of that we have hundreds of Irish troops. I ask the House to think of the men and women who are serving in south Lebanon. They are now de facto human shields in the villages and towns that are being targeted in this indiscriminate manner by Israel. I also think of their families at the moment. It is a particularly worrying time for them.