Written answers
Thursday, 7 March 2024
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Middle East
Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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50. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if the Government will consider contributing to the aid drop currently being undertaken by Jordan to bypass the Israeli blockade of humanitarian aid to Gaza, which is in contravention of one of the six provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice on 26 January 2024 to allow humanitarian assistance into the Gaza Strip; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11138/24]
Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland is open to considering the option of airdrops of humanitarian assistance, and this is among several issues that have been raised in recent contacts at political and official level between Ireland and Jordan.
However, such initiatives must not distract from the urgent need to dramatically scale up the level of humanitarian assistance entering Gaza by land. The International Court of Justice made clear in its order for provisional measures on 26 January that Israel must take immediate and effective measures to enable the provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance in Gaza.
That was more than a month ago; since that time, humanitarian assistance entering Gaza by land has halved and WFP and UNRWA have had to withdraw from distributing aid in Northern Gaza given the deterioration of the security situation. Under international humanitarian law, Israel has the responsibility to protect civilians in Gaza and to ensure that the essential needs of the population there are met.
Full, safe and unhindered humanitarian access and massive scale up in humanitarian aid is Ireland’s priority, and is the priority of all humanitarian actors on the ground, and must remain our primary focus.
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