Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Prisoners held in any circumstances should be afforded the rights and protections enshrined in international standards. In Israel, which is an established state and party to most of the relevant international instruments, these standards should apply to all persons imprisoned by Israel, be they in Israel or in occupied territory, be they citizens or not. The same standards should be applied by the Palestinian Authority, which is building a state which we hope will aspire to the highest standards. And the same should be expected of the de facto Hamas authorities in Gaza, who claim to be a legitimate government.

We have discussed many times in the Oireachtas the many causes for concern that these standards are not fully met. In some cases this reflects the general need in the broader region to improve standards of human rights protections, in some cases it relates to the specific circumstances of the conflict in the area. Ireland and our EU partners work in these cases, as we do elsewhere, to encourage and press the parties to adhere fully to international standards.