Naoise Ó Cearúil (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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195. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on Israel's aid blockade on Gaza. [24172/25]

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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As the United Nations reported last week all of Gaza's population of over 2 million people face the risk of famine; one in five face possible starvation. Israel’s continuing blockade of humanitarian and commercial supplies for Gaza is rapidly deepening the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The obstruction of life-saving aid by Israel is a violation of its international obligations and it must lift the blockade immediately. There needs to be an immediate resumption of humanitarian access to the people of Gaza, and at scale.

In a briefing to the UN Security Council on 13 May, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator stated that Israel was deliberately imposing inhumane conditions on civilians in Gaza and the West Bank. He added that the new Gaza aid delivery mechanism proposed by Israel is a “cynical sideshow” which would exclude vulnerable groups, create more displacement and set an unacceptable precedent for future humanitarian operations.

The Government welcomes the statement from EU High Representative Kallas and Commissioners Lahbib and Šuica in which they also express concern about this proposed new mechanism, which runs counter to humanitarian principles, as underlined by UN agencies and humanitarian partners.

Ireland has been one of the most consistent voices internationally on the humanitarian situation in Gaza. We have repeatedly called on Israel to comply with international law, stressing the universal applicability of international law, including international humanitarian law.

On 7 May, the Tánaiste issued a joint statement with counterparts from Iceland, Luxembourg, Norway, Slovenia and Spain expressing concern about reported Israeli plans to expand its military presence in Gaza and establish a prolonged Israeli presence there. They also called on Israel to take all necessary and effective measures to ensure, without delay, in full cooperation with the United Nations and humanitarian organisations, the unhindered provision at scale of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance.

Ireland has provided over €87 million in support to the people of Palestine since January 2023. So far in 2025, we have provided €21.6 million, including €20 million in core funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in February. This brings Ireland’s support to UNRWA to €58 million since the beginning of 2023. We have also been providing humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza through other agencies including the World Food Programme and the Red Cross/Red Crescent Society.

Ireland’s support also includes the delivery in 2023 and 2024 of over 116 tonnes of relief supplies through our rapid response initiative. Ireland has two consignments of humanitarian aid in Amman, Jordan, awaiting entry to Gaza. Both consignments had received approval to enter Gaza but were unable to do so following the imposition by Israel of the blockade on aid.