Sinéad Gibney (Dublin Rathdown, Social Democrats)
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121. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the steps he is taking diplomatically at European and UN level to ensure that the peace deal in Gaza respects the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people and protects them against occupation and apartheid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57132/25]

Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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158. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to provide an update on his recent engagements in relation to Palestine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57038/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 121 and 158 together.

The Middle East region is experiencing a period of significant instability with multiple crises, many of which are interrelated. The catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza and the situation in the West Bank remain a central focus of my engagement with my EU and other international counterparts.

At the EU level, the situation in Gaza and in the West Bank was at the centre of discussions at the Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg yesterday. My counterparts and I welcomed the agreement of the ceasefire and hostage release deal, and the release of hostages. We must now focus on preserving the ceasefire and ensuring humanitarian aid enters Gaza at scale. The people of Gaza have endured unimaginable suffering. The scale of destruction and need is starkly evident. At the Foreign Affairs Council, I emphasised the importance of the EU as a vocal supporter of the two-State solution that unifies the Gaza Strip with the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority, as negotiations continue on further peace efforts.

In yesterday’s engagement with my Foreign Minister counterparts, I reiterated Ireland’s position that the issues that prompted the European Commission to propose a package of measures against Israel remain, including famine conditions in Gaza, the financial suffocation of the Palestinian Authority and illegal settlement activities in the West Bank, including the approval of the E1 settlement project, therefore these proposals should remain on the table. Ireland has consistently called for the EU to take concrete action in response to egregious Israeli breaches of human rights and democratic principles.

The situation in Gaza and the West Bank was also a central focus of my agenda at UN High Level Week in New York in September. In my remarks at the Global Alliance for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of Two-State Solution, I underlined Ireland’s support for the two-State solution, and for the outcome document from the High Level Conference on the Question of Palestine and Implementation of the Two State Solution, the 'New York Declaration.' I announced that Ireland will host a meeting in Dublin in early 2026, where we will share lessons from our own peace process in Northern Ireland.

Ireland, together with EU and international partners, will continue to work towards preserving the viability of the two-State solution in the interests of both Israel and Palestine and their legitimate rights to live in their own state, in peace, security and dignity.