Sinéad Gibney (Dublin Rathdown, Social Democrats)
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57. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the engagement his Department has had with the United States and Israel regarding the statements from the US President on the ethnic cleansing of Gaza; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4823/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Ireland, the European Union and international partners have been consistently clear that there can be no forced displacement of the civilian population of Gaza, nor occupation of the strip by Israel.

Any move to relocate the population of Gaza against its will would be contrary to United Nations Security Council Resolution 2735 of 10 June 2024, which rejected any attempt at demographic or territorial change in the Gaza Strip.

As implementation of the hostage release and ceasefire deal progresses, we need to see a framework for the return of those displaced from their homes within Gaza. As I underlined at the January Foreign Affairs Council, Palestinian Authority governance is crucial in this regard. The EU must be ready to support the Palestinian Authority, working with partners in the region and beyond, creating an enabling environment for a revitalised Palestinian Authority.

There will also be a need for international involvement, including by the United States and others, in efforts to stabilise and reconstruct Gaza.

It is important to acknowledge the role of the United States, alongside Egypt and Qatar, for their sustained efforts over recent months to achieve the long-awaited hostage release and ceasefire agreement. These mediation efforts must continue to ensure that the agreement it is implemented in full, in all its phases. The focus of the international community should be directed towards this purpose.

Ireland’s position on the Middle East is clear and will always form part of our foreign policy dialogue with the United States and Israel, as it does with other partners.

Ireland's approach at EU and international level remains grounded in the belief that the only just and sustainable peaceful solution, for both Palestinians and Israelis, is a two-state solution based on 1967 borders, with the State of Israel, and an independent, democratic, contiguous, sovereign, and viable State of Palestine, living side-by-side in peace and security and mutual recognition, with Jerusalem serving as the future capital of both states.