Tom Brabazon (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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2. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade her views on Israel's ordered demolition of a football pitch at the Aida Refugee Camp; the engagement her Department has had with Israel in relation to this matter. [2612/26]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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While international attention is understandably focused on preserving the ceasefire in Gaza and the need to urgently scale up humanitarian access, Ireland has not lost sight of the situation in the West Bank. Unprecedented Israeli military operations have caused widespread displacement and destruction of civilian infrastructure and homes. Such operations have also included, as the Deputy has pointed out, demolition orders imposed on important community and recreational facilities, such as the football pitch at Aida Refugee Camp.

I am deeply concerned by these orders and by the illegal settlement construction. I am also concerned about increasing and escalating extremist settler violence, which continues in an environment of impunity, restricting life for Palestinians across the West Bank. The number of settlement plans and tenders advanced by Israel in 2023 and 2024 represents a 250% increase over a period of seven years since 2018.

Ireland, alongside our EU partners, is strongly opposed to Israel’s settlement policy and activities, including in and around East Jerusalem. Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory are illegal under international law. This is the longstanding position of the European Union. Ireland has repeatedly called on Israel to immediately halt these activities and welcomes strong US statements clearly opposing annexation of the West Bank.

Ireland has strongly supported the sanctions adopted by the EU against both individuals and entities involved in settler violence. Ireland welcomes further proposals from the European Commission to sanction extremist Israeli ministers and violent settlers.

In December, I co-signed a statement with thirteen of my counterparts condemning the approval by the Israeli security cabinet of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank. Such unilateral actions not only violate international law but also risk fueling instability. We call on Israel to reverse this decision, as well as the expansion of settlements, in line with UNSC Resolution 2334.

The West Bank must be centrally considered as work to implement the next phase of the Comprehensive Peace Plan for Gaza progresses, given its centrality to a durable peace plan with the implementation of the two-State solution as its central goal. Ireland continues to advocate for this at EU and international level. Ireland was active in preparing the UN High-level Conference on the Two-State Solution, held in New York from 28 - 30 July and the outcome document from the meeting – the New York Declaration – has been endorsed by 142 countries. Ireland is also an active member of the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution and will host a meeting of the Global Alliance in Ireland later this month, where we will share elements of our own experience of a successful peace process in Northern Ireland.