Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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264. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the outcome of his most recent discussions at EU and UN level in regard to the ongoing urgent requirement to get essential and food and medical supplies to people in Gaza; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28880/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The humanitarian situation in Gaza is worsening daily. The entire population is facing high levels of food insecurity. More than 20% face starvation after 18 months of fighting, and almost 80 days of the Israeli blockade on vital, life-saving, humanitarian aid.

The Government has consistently condemned any arrangement for humanitarian assistance that does not ensure access for the entire population. Israel's decision to take control of the distribution of humanitarian aid through private contractors has been described by the UN as unacceptable and designed to further control and restrict supplies. Recent days have seen a small amount of aid being permitted to enter Gaza. However, this represents just a trickle given the scale of humanitarian need.

In response to concerns regarding the situation in Gaza, on 20 May the EU Foreign Affairs Council agreed to a review of Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. As this House is aware, Ireland and Spain had already called for this step in February 2024. This is a position that I reiterated very clearly, alongside my counterparts from Spain, Slovenia and Luxembourg, in a joint letter to the High Representative in advance of the Foreign Affairs Council.

A shared priority with both our European and regional partners at this time is the forthcoming UN High-Level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the two-State Solution. This will take place in New York in June of this year and will be co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia.

This Conference will provide an important opportunity to advance discussions on concrete initiatives towards implementing the two-State solution such as implementation of the Arab Recovery and Reconstruction Plan for Gaza.

We have used every lever at Ireland’s disposal and we will continue to do so.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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265. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the outcome of discussions he has had with countries outside the EU in relation to the provision of essential food and medical supplies to people in Gaza; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28883/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Ireland’s position on the current situation was made very clear in the Tánaiste’s joint statement with the Foreign Ministers of Iceland, Luxembourg, Norway, Slovenia and Spain earlier this month. It called on Israel to to take all necessary and effective measures to ensure, without delay, in full cooperation with the United Nations and humanitarian organizations, the unhindered provision at scale of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance.

The Government has consistently condemned any arrangement for humanitarian assistance that does not ensure access for the entire population. Israel's decision to take control of the distribution of humanitarian aid through private contractors has been described by the UN as unacceptable and designed to further control and restrict supplies. Recent days have seen a small amount of aid being permitted to enter Gaza. However, this represents just a trickle given the scale of humanitarian need.

A shared priority with both our European and regional partners at this time is the forthcoming UN High-Level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the two-State Solution. This will take place in New York in June of this year and will be co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia.

This Conference will provide an important opportunity to advance discussions on concrete initiatives towards implementing the two-State solution such as implementation of the Arab Recovery and Reconstruction Plan for Gaza.

Ireland has been centrally involved in the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution which was founded at UN High Level Week last year and has met several times since then. It most recently met this month in Morocco. Before that, it met in Egypt in February where the focus was on the role of UNRWA and the services it provides.

On 28 February of this year, Ireland also filed a detailed written submission with the ICJ in advisory proceedings concerning the obligations of Israel in relation to the UN and other international organisations, as well as states, in the occupied Palestinian territory.

The immediate focus of the international community must be on efforts to ensure an immediate ceasefire, the release of all remaining hostages, and a surge in vital humanitarian aid into and throughout Gaza.