Patricia Stephenson (Social Democrats)

I propose an amendment to the Order of Business, namely, that No.11 to be taken before No. 1, referring to the Domestic Violence (Free Travel Scheme) Bill 2025. This Bill seeks to provide a three-month free travel pass to survivors of domestic violence. Today, I want to talk about the announcement of a ceasefire in Gaza, which is really welcome news after the two years of horror we have had. The scenes of relief, joy and families being reunited with each other we have witnessed over the past few days have been really heartwarming. These scenes have given us all a sense of relief, but we cannot and must not allow any complacency to set in because we know that peace is incredibly fragile. Days after the ceasefire, journalist Saleh Aljafarawi was killed. He was killed after we watched him celebrate with such joy following two years of reporting on this genocide. We have heard this morning that five Palestinian men have been killed in Gaza city. These killings represent a potentially very serious breach of the ceasefire. What we need now is a ceasefire monitor for ensuring this fragile peace is protected. The Government should actively lead within the international community on establishing this. It is vital for maintaining peace and accountability on the ground.

The suffering endured by the Palestinian people has been incredibly immense and we must not, as an international community, abandon them at this stage. The atrocities committed since October 2023 have violated countless human rights laws. There must be accountability for Israel's ethnic cleansing of Palestinians and the levelling of Gaza. We all know the popular chant "no justice, no peace". Without justice, there can be no lasting peace. Accountability measures and access to justice are critical pieces for a lasting and just peace in Palestine and in the region more broadly.

I ask today that the Government bring the occupied territories Bill back to the Dáil and Seanad as soon as possible. This is actually a crucial element to establishing accountability for the Israeli state's illegal occupation on stolen land. It is time to show our true commitment to the Palestinian people. We need to have an immediate move by the Government to pass the occupied territories Bill in full, including goods and services, as recommended unanimously by the foreign affairs committee.

I also welcome the news today that the Government is committed to increasing funding for humanitarian aid to sustain this peace. That means we need to ensure humanitarian aid flows freely and safely to those who need it most. The funding the Government has announced must help scale up support for the likes of UNRWA and the WHO because these are the organisations with the infrastructure and capacity to deliver large-scale relief within Gaza today. We need to have a debate in the Chamber about what this ceasefire means for Gaza and Palestine and what opportunities lie ahead for Ireland in supporting accountability.