Frances Black (Independent)

Freedom of navigation is central to the law of the sea and, as such, the flotilla is entitled to sail unimpeded in the Mediterranean Sea. Any harassment or stopping of the flotilla in the Mediterranean Sea's international waters is therefore a clear violation of international law. The participants, as we all know, were all peaceful, unarmed civilians and posed no threat to Israel. They therefore had the right to innocent passage through the territorial waters under the law of the sea. Really, what Israel is doing is piracy. It is breaking international law.The world is watching.If it were Russia, everybody would be up in arms. I cannot get my head around the fact that there is still nothing being done about what Israel is doing.

Crucial to this is the actual location where Israeli forces intercepted and boarded the flotilla vessels. The flotilla boats were intercepted between 70 to 80 nautical miles from shore, well beyond Gaza's territorial sea. As we all know, the occupation of Gaza by Israel is totally illegal under international law, as reaffirmed by the ICJ in July 2024. As I have said here many times, it states:

The sustained abuse by Israel of its position as an occupying Power, through annexation and an assertion of permanent control over the Occupied Palestinian Territory and continued frustration of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, violates fundamental principles of international law and renders Israel's presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory unlawful.

This illegality relates to the entirety of the Palestinian territory occupied by Israel in 1967.

UN General Assembly Resolution 68/235, adopted on 20 December 2013, reaffirms "the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and of the population of the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources, including land, water and energy resources".

It is essential, therefore, that the Irish Government condemn this act by Israel in international waters, illegal under international law, and demand the immediate and safe release of all Irish citizens who were illegally kidnapped and abducted by Israel. Ireland should also demand from Israel compensation for the illegal kidnapping of its citizens. Further, the illegality of the occupation of Palestine, and therefore Gaza, by Israel under international law should be condemned, along with the ongoing perpetuation of genocide by Israel, as concluded by the UN this month, and the continuous disregard for human rights law. Effectively, Israel is acting in total disregard for international law and must be made to face the consequences of this.

We have to take the lead in pressing the EU to immediately suspend the EU–Israel co-operation agreement and rapidly move forward on areas where it has domestic powers, such as my occupied territories Bill, the control of the export of dual-use items to Israel, the inspection of civil aircraft carrying weapons of war, and a total divestment from all Israeli companies and institutions.

I heard what Senator O'Loughlin said this morning but we need to get the occupied territories Bill passed as soon as possible, and we need it to include services.