Vincent P Martin (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

On behalf of the Green Party group, I wish to convey our deepest sympathy to the family of the late Councillor John Naughten. The family is highly respected and has contributed a great deal to the Oireachtas. They are a family full of decency and integrity and we would like to express our deepest sympathy to Denis, John's family and all concerned at this dreadful time.

The horrific loss of life in Gaza and Lebanon is reported all the time. However, it is so important that we do not become immune. The Netanyahu regime acts with impunity and we should never become immune to the horrific loss of life caused. I am told 40,000 people have now died, including 16,000 children. Many more are unaccounted for. The Taoiseach correctly called out the Israeli regime for attacking UN peacekeepers. That is an egregious act. Prime Minister Netanyahu has thrown away the rule book; he has ripped it up. He is out of control.Benjamin Netanyahu had the audacity to call on UN peacekeepers, including Irish troops, to get out of the way of his advancing forces. He said,"It should be done right now, immediately”. That is a warmonger and a bully who has to be faced down. We must redouble our efforts.

Ireland is a relatively small country but a nation of big influence. We have to bring our influence to bear on the United States and Germany, which have armed to the teeth a regime that is murdering innocent people. A year after the horrific, barbaric loss of Israelis on 7 October, the US State Department has, we heard yesterday, written to Israel demanding that it increase aid to Gaza or risk the supply of weapons. Talk about something being late; that is late. It is never too late, however. We cannot arm this regime to the teeth. It is not allowed to kill an alleged Hamas militant in a hospital, where all the nurses, doctors, patients and hospital porters are blown up, because there is a tunnel underneath that hospital. We have to stand up to a man who has ripped up the book of law. We must enact the occupied territories Bill. We have done a lot in Ireland as a leader in Europe, but we still must do more, lead from the front and call out this barbaric warmonger.