Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 18 Oct 2023

Vol. 1044 No. 2

Middle East and the Occupied Palestinian Territories: Statements (Resumed)

Deputy Pa Daly

Sinn Féin's amendment highlights Israel's brutal assault on the civilian population of Gaza, which has resulted in the deaths of over 1,000 children. It also highlights the forced displacement of Palestinians, the cutting off of water, fuel, food and medical supplies, and the destruction of civilian infrastructure. The unjustifiable acts of Hamas occurred against the intensification of the Israeli occupation in Palestine since 2022. From the beginning of this year, 700 people had been killed by Israel. Israel's collective punishment is a war crime and an expansion of the blockade it has enforced on Gaza since 2007. We need a decisive international intervention. This is the request of this House; it is not in fact a request but our demand.

We have heard time and again from apologists, including from some former Ministers and world leaders who know international law and should know better, who envelop themselves in equivocation or "standing with Israel", which translates as "Israel, you may commit acts of state terror, you may kill thousands of children and we will look the other way." In this country we know all about that. The families of Pat Finucane and Rosemary Nelson know what happens when governments look the other way. Irish people identify with Palestinians and we see the parallels. My town is twinned with a Palestinian town, Beit Sahour, on the West Bank.

We hear that Israel needs to defend itself. What does that mean? I do not propose to address the ramblings of Deputy Phelan, except to say I noted that he walked out in the middle of Deputy Flaherty's excellent speech. On what he said about self-defence, he should have a look at the proportionality element of it and have a close look at what self-defence means. The history of Israel's self-defence has been to kill three times as many Palestinians. Revenge is not self-defence, bombing UN-sponsored schools and hospitals is not self-defence and cutting off water, sanitation and electricity is not self-defence.

A just peace requires an end to the illegal occupation and apartheid systems. Just like Ursula von der Leyen promised "iron-clad solidarity" to support peace in Ireland, so too should there be iron-clad solidarity with the people of Palestine. Similarly, I hope the President of the United States will not sit back and allow a situation to develop where, as he said, a small country which "endured discrimination and were denied opportunity" is plunged into famine while world leaders look away. We need, in the interim, to show international leadership by recognising the state of Palestine. I will finish with a quote from Sinéad O'Connor:

How many mothers to cry?

How many sons have to die?

How many missions left to fly over Palestine?

Cause as a matter of facts

It's a pact, it's an act

These are illegal attacks

So bring the soldiers back

Deputy Martin Browne

The actions of Hamas on 7 October were unacceptable and must be condemned by all. The response from Israel must also be condemned because the actions we have seen against 2.5 million people in the largest open-air prison cannot be described as defensive. People are dying in their thousands, yet what we hear on the international stage appears to fall short of appearing like preparations for a ceasefire. We hear the term “unwavering support” for continued military action in Gaza used while, at the same time, more than 3,000 people lie dead, including 1,000 children. People are being forcibly displaced to south of the Wadi Gaza line and water, food and fuel are being denied to a whole population. This is nothing but collective punishment. When the cry of "unwavering support" goes out, it means continue on with your war crimes.

Like Deputy Daly, I will address Deputy Phelan's remarks. How dare he use people's names as he did to attack the Opposition. We all appreciate what has gone on and we all condemn it. Shame on him for using people's names in the way he did.

International law is being breached and the actions that are continuing have the potential to lead to a spread of violence in the region, as we have already seen to some extent. I agree that the acts of Hamas were unjustifiable and they must stop immediately, as the motion calls for. However, calls for restraint on the part of Israel have been hard to come by in many quarters, despite the mounting death toll. For this reason, we have proposed an amendment condemning what people in many quarters have fallen short in condemning, namely, Israel’s brutal assault on the civilian population of Gaza; the forced displacement of Palestinians, in clear breach of international humanitarian law; the cutting off of vital supplies; and the destruction of civilian infrastructure throughout Gaza, which amounts to collective punishment, in contravention of international humanitarian law.

Ireland needs to be a voice for de-escalation, a ceasefire, humanitarian aid, dialogue and international law and the upholding of the UN charter. The backdrop to what we are seeing is decades of occupation, apartheid and the violation of international treaties. A commitment must be given by the international community to assist in achieving the goal of finding a lasting and just peace between Palestine and Israel which involves the end of the illegal occupation and apartheid systems. We can show international leadership at home by recognising the state of Palestine and progressing the Illegal Israeli Settlements Divestment Bill 2023. For too long, the world has watched and ignored while international law has been breached, illegal settlements built and an apartheid system tolerated. Most immediately, we need all world leaders to buy in to the immediate need for a ceasefire and the opening of humanitarian corridors to end the current madness.

Deputy Matt Shanahan

Strategically, the land of Palestine has had a tumultuous history. It is the recognised birthplace for both Judaism and Christianity but in the past 1,000 years it has been home to Christians, Jews, Romans and a multitude of warring tribes. It was ruled by the Ottomans for 402 years until 1918 and in 1948 the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution recommending the partition of Palestine into an independent Arab state, alongside a Jewish state. That brings us up to the present day. The right of Israel to exist has been a deep and burning issue in the region for decades and the rise of fundamental Islamic extremism has added to the tensions in the region, as these extremists formally oppose Israel being in the area.

The rise of the Hamas Government in 2007 has strengthened the need for Israel to manage its borders but this, in turn, has promoted further and greater Islamic fundamentalism in the region. It has also inadvertently pushed Israel into more right-wing government tendencies. On Saturday, 7 October, Hamas orchestrated a devastating rocket attack and incursion into Israeli settlements. The sickening and indiscriminate murder, rape and violence by Hamas-trained soldiers is beyond anything this region and large parts of the world have seen for over 70 years. Hamas, supported by Iran, has long advocated wiping Israel and its people off the map. The murder of 1,400 innocents, including concert-goers and women and children in their homes, cannot be condoned or justified in any way, and nor can the murder of Kim Damti or Emily Hand. The injuring of 4,000 civilians and the taking of 150 hostages, including non-Israeli citizens, back to Gaza to be used as bargaining chips cannot be condoned either.

This has been the backdrop and precursor to the Israeli military operations, with the stated aim to finally eradicate Hamas and its supporters. It has be said that the military capability of Israel is beyond formidable. However, there can be no justification for the collective punishment of the Palestinian population that is taking place, the result of which has been in excess of 3,000 deaths and over 12,500 people wounded. The siege tactics of Israel are completely disproportionate to the mission at hand. The targeting of buildings in Gaza for artillery bombardment also means there is indiscriminate killing of innocent people who have little or no option of escape. The cutting off of the most basic essentials of food and water targets the most vulnerable first. The cutting off of electricity needed to run hospitals and public utilities, along with the refusal to allow in medical supplies, is unconscionable on any level where a civilian population is being so targeted. One cannot blame the entire people for the malevolent actors that operate within society but this is what Israel seeks to do in pursuit of future security. These actions will engender hate, violence and devastation in future and, possibly, wider regional catastrophes.

The international community may know something of the hurt caused to Israel by the recent Hamas actions. In Ireland we understand what hurt engenders. Our history has taught us that you cannot subjugate a nation and think some will not revolt. You cannot indiscriminately kill and think that your life or future are secure and without risk. Ireland, after 30 years of the Troubles, is a clear example that you cannot win hearts and minds with war; only peace delivers that. As a respected member of the international community, Ireland must use all of its diplomatic powers to apply pressure for an immediate cessation of Israeli military actions, including the planned ground invasion. Regional Arab countries must ensure that rocket fire from Hamas and Hezbollah also ceases.

Hostage repatriation discussions must begin immediately and humanitarian corridors must be allowed to open and the movements of the civilian population allowed. Electricity and water must be restored as quickly as possible and vital medical and food supplies must be allowed in. All of this can only happen when such a truce could possibly be supported by international peacekeepers who could be deployed to monitor against future insurgency. The question is whether the will is there. The international community must step up and do its job, a job that we, collectively, have ignored for decades. The future of Israel and Palestine can only lie in a two-state solution. It is the only arrangement that offers true independence and security to the regional populations. All the regional stakeholders must agree and be prepared to sit down, and they must be called out to be prepared to sit down, to see how such a solution can be achieved. It will require international oversight and probably for many years to come. What is certain is that the present actions of Israel are playing into the hands of Islamic fundamentalism. Neither Israel nor the wider world can afford a resurgence of such ideology. A peaceful future for Israel and Palestine can be forged. It is unlikely to happen without the fulsome support of the Arabic and western powers that seek finally to recognise the rights of Palestinians and Israelis to live and occupy the lands of their forefathers.

As a small nation which continues to tread a path of peace among its own people, Ireland can be an example of what might be for Israel and Palestine, where hardliners and militants are the new enemies and where compromise is a step that must be taken because compromise is not alone the language of peace but is also the price of it. At this stage of the conflict, and in honour of all those who have sacrificed their lives, it is the only price worth paying.

Deputy Cathal Berry

I wish a good evening to the Minister of State, Deputy Heydon. It is always a pleasure to interact with a constituency colleague across the floor of the Dáil. I wish it were under better circumstances. While I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this historic debate, I recognise it is historic for all the wrong reasons. I have been on the planet for 46 years but do not recall any time in that period when the world has been so tumultuous and so turned on its head. It is concerning. A major war in Ukraine has been ongoing for more than 600 days. It will enter its third year in February. There are problems between Azerbaijan and Armenia. We now have a major conflict in the Middle East. This is not just a normal flare up. It is for sure a seminal moment in the history of the Middle East.

I compliment all the Irish people who are working so incredibly hard for peace in the Middle East at the moment. They include our colleagues in the Department of Foreign Affairs and their families. We have a consulate in Ramallah and embassies in Tel Aviv and Cairo. A large number of Irish civilians are working with the UN agencies. People in the Chamber may not be aware that Ireland is over-represented, particularly in UNRWA. There are people working in Gaza right now as we are in this Chamber. The Minister of State will be aware that we have 500 troops in the region doing important work to stabilise the area and maintain humanitarian access. We have learned over the past 24 hours that their crucial role is to provide accurate, impartial and objective information to the international community, the international media and to the UN headquarters in New York.

I will dwell for a moment on the danger of social media. We have learned repeatedly over the past 24 hours that people should not be jumping to conclusions. People are under the impression that Twitter is still alive but to be clear, Twitter is dead and gone. That platform is gone and has been replaced by something much worse, that is, X. It has absolutely no moderation whatsoever. It is running completely on autopilot. It can push people down the very rabbit holes they have constructed for themselves. The information blinkers will confine people to the information that supports their narratives. People will not be presented with any information offering an alternative view. We must be very careful from that point of view. X is not designed to inform. It is designed to divide. It is designed to personalise, polarise and demonise. We must be mindful of that. It is why it is important from the points of view of foreign affairs, the UN and the military perspective that there are Irish people on the ground.

Where do we go from here? We are in a bad place. The first priority is to prevent escalation and widening of the conflict, particularly to the West Bank and Lebanon. That territory and that country have enough problems of their own without imposing a conflict on them. The first priority is to prevent escalation.

The second priority will be to promote de-escalation. I agree with Deputy Shanahan that a ceasefire is absolutely imperative. If necessary, a new UN mission to patrol and monitor the border between Gaza and Israel may be required. Perhaps that suggests a wider question. Normally when there is a destabilising event, other countries should be able to deploy troops. It is a pity there is not a reserve of UN troops somewhere in the world that would allow us to reinforce the personnel out there. That would send a strong and stabilising signal that the UN is serious.

We need a ceasefire and an exchange of prisoners, both hostages and militants. We need humanitarian access and to ensure that our citizens who wish to get out of Gaza are facilitated in doing so. We need assisted movement from that point of view. We need also to reinvigorate the wider Middle East peace process. I recognise that is very much easier said than done. It must be based on a two-state solution and the 1967 borders. There is international agreement in principle to that and we should be supportive of it.

From a short-term perspective, I agree with Deputy Shanahan that we must do everything within our power to prevent an Israeli ground invasion and incursion. It is going to be a bloodbath on the Israeli side but particularly on the Palestinian side. I recognise that the airstrikes will probably continue but we have to be clear that international humanitarian law applies to both sides. The Israelis must prevent unnecessary casualties or any casualties at all. They should not be targeting anybody if there is going to be considerable collateral damage. I have not heard anybody mention that Hamas should not be positioning military stores, people or equipment in civilian areas. Humanitarian law and the Geneva Convention apply to both sides. That is an important message to hammer home.

I sympathise with all the people who are bereaved, particularly the Irish families. I welcome the additional €13 million that the Tánaiste has announced for humanitarian aid. I wish our diplomats well in the back-channel communication that is so vital. I do not envy their task but that is all the more reason we in the Regional Group and this entire House should support their important work.

Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív

I offer my condolences to everybody who has died in this horrendous war. In particular, I offer condolences to the families of Kim Damti and Emily Hand. It is important, as has been said, that we do not forget our peacekeepers in the Middle East, who are doing a hugely difficult and important job at great risk, as well as aid workers and diplomats, and all the other people trying to move forward in a peaceful way.

The problem with this issue is that the history of the past 100 years has been a botched history of wrong actions. A very clumsy arrangement has been left in that part of the Middle East. We have a challenge now to set about trying to deal with the enormously difficult issues there.

We know the attack by Hamas was wrong and the response by Israel was wrong. However, condemnation is the easy part. Saying that things are wrong is the easy part. How to move forward is always the challenge. I have heard many references in recent weeks to the rules of war, as if there was a clean way of fighting a war in the modern world or a war in which the real sufferers are not mainly civilians, as they are in all wars nowadays. War only leads to more war. I join all those calling on both sides to stop.

I often think of one person in our country's recent history, somebody who served in the Upper House.

At the moment of greatest grief, he could have called out for vengeance, but he called out for talk and talk with everybody, including the leaders of the IRA at the time. That was Gordon Wilson. In my view, he opened doors for many people who followed and brought a settlement that has largely been successful. What we must encourage and hope is that some leaders arise on both sides to say enough is enough and that we must stop killing each other. As the saying goes, "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth only makes the whole world blind." In this case, however, it just kills everybody on both sides, mainly innocent people. It only creates the sense of victimhood on each side that drives the next round of violence.

I have heard Israel talk about annihilating Hamas. First of all, to do that would be totally barbaric in terms of what they would have to do with civilians on the ground. Even supposing they did that, however, can they not see that the 13- and 14-year-olds would form the new Hamas with vengeance in their minds in four or five years' time, and that war only begets war?

This country, particularly with our history, has to say that the only way forward is peace. It is not the majority view at the moment, but we still should be that lone voice because often in history, the lone voice becomes the majority voice if it repeats the right message often enough.

Deputy Richard Bruton

We are seeing a total tragedy unfolding before our eyes. We can see the pain every night on our screens and the fear and anguish in the faces of mothers in particular. It is there for all of us to see. The reality is that the decision by Hamas was a cold, calculated assault designed to kill citizens and create the sort of reaction we have seen. It was carefully planned. It was not the reaction to some individual incident. It was carefully planned and equipped to an extraordinary level, and its target was to see the hope of the emergence of the seeds of some sort of settlement in the Middle East destroyed. It is bent on the destruction of Israel and that is the sad reality we face.

Equally, however, the actions of Israel to cut energy, water and humanitarian aid is designed in my view to drive the citizens further and further into the hands of those like Hamas who have led them in an appalling way down a blind alley. There is sadly a drive for binary politics in both Gaza and Israel, which is not serving the future of a peaceful settlement well.

Indeed, it was an Israeli writer who talked about thinking fast and thinking slow. Thinking fast is this reactive thing one does on the spur of the moment without thinking out the consequences, while thinking slow is about looking down the road. As Deputy Ó Cuív said, the reality is that for every terrorist taken out today, another one will be created if there is not respect for what has to be achieved in the long term. What we need to do in my view is try to build out that centre in politics, which is all too lacking in both Israel and Palestine at the moment.

The first measure to do that is to have a genuine attempt to understand both sides and the fears they hold. It is not good enough to express an understanding of just one side. We have to understand both. Maybe then we could see the sort of reaction I saw on television on the BBC the other night. A mother who lost her child at that music festival said that what she wanted was healing and not revenge. It is people like that we need to seek to build the future upon. We need to give space for that to happen. The very balanced way in which the Irish Government has approached this, by not siding on one side or the other and insisting on standards, is the way we can best contribute. I commend both the Tánaiste and Taoiseach, and commend the careful approach they have taken in a really difficult situation.

Deputy Emer Higgins

As we stand here in this Chamber, innocent civilians are dying in Gaza and almost 200 innocent hostages taken in Israel continue to be held against their will.

The people of Palestine have lived under occupation for decades upon decades. I visited Palestine and I have seen that myself in areas like Hebron, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Ramallah and Kulandia. I have seen how Israeli soldiers treat people there in their own land. However, nothing, and I mean nothing, excuses the attacks Hamas carried out on innocent civilians at a music festival in Israel last week. Nothing excuses the taking of civilian hostages. That has led to an escalation of violence and now 4,200 people are dead, and more than 1 million people have been displaced. Just imagine that for a second. They have nowhere to run in the face of a potential ground invasion by Israeli forces. They have nowhere to shelter from bombs raining down on their city and no food, power or water.

Where does this path of destruction lead to? It leads to the potential destabilisation of the Middle East, and that is not a world in which any of us wants to live. That is why we need international leadership to get us on to a path of peace rather than bloodshed. We need to say "stop" - stop this escalation, stop holding hostages and stop bombing. That means Israel needs to turn the water and power back on in Gaza and let supplies in. It means Hamas needs to release the hostages being held and it means that both Israel and Hamas need to agree to a ceasefire. The only way to achieve that is through negotiation and dialogue. International peacebrokers must stand up and get involved. They must independently verify intelligence around the hospital strike because as that blame game of who was behind it plays out on our air waves, more people are dying. As we wait on progress to happen and for peace to be negotiated, more blood is being shed and more lives are being lost. That is why international leadership, and Ireland is leading the way in that regard, is needed now more than ever. I wish to take this opportunity to give my deepest condolences to all those who are grieving at this time. I wish the best to everyone working on the ground in the region.

Deputy Robert Troy

I, too, join with other voices in wishing Irish citizens who are working in the diplomatic core, in aid agencies and in the Defence Forces well at this difficult time, and I add my voice to the others in offering condolences to families who have lost their loved ones.

The escalation of violence with the indiscriminate rocket attacks into Israel and the barbaric killings and kidnappings of their neighbours by Hamas has rightly captivated the world's attention in a region to which the world has frequently turned a blind eye. While nothing can or will justify the events of the early hours of 7 October, the escalation must be viewed in the context of the long-standing situation in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. Israel has a right to defend itself and a right to defend its citizens. However, with those rights come responsibilities, which are enshrined in our humanitarian international laws. Those laws are being broken and war crimes are being committed. We are seeing the blocking of aid, no supplies of water or power and the ethnic cleansing of 1 million people. World leaders and government leaders must use their diplomatic skills to bring about a de-escalation of violence and a ceasefire. For world leaders to act as honest brokers, they must call out atrocities on both sides. The initial response by the EU did not do that, and President Higgins was right to call that out.

The head of the World Health Organization said that "Gaza is spiralling out of control." There is nowhere safe. Hospitals are not safe and innocent people are without the very basic essentials of life - food, water and power. Israel must lift the siege of Gaza. Hamas and other armed groups must end deliberate attacks on civilians and release hostages. Time is of the essence. Far too many innocent lives have been lost, not just in the last fortnight, but all over the troubles.

The international community must come together and must encourage respect for the rules of international humanitarian law. It must ensure that states refrain from providing arms to either side of the conflict. It must ensure that humanitarian aid gets to the people who need it. Our own history has demonstrated that violence does not work. Dialogue, negotiation and engagement with all sides is the only thing that will bring about lasting peace. I want our Government to be to the fore in advocating for engagement, dialogue and a lasting peace in this region.

Deputy Denise Mitchell

We all watched in horror as events unfolded in recent weeks. We have all seen the bombs rain down on the most densely populated place on earth. The bombing of Gaza has left thousands of Palestinians injured and dead, many of them women and children. Let us be clear that collective punishment, deliberately targeting civilians and deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure is a clear breach of international humanitarian law, which, in turn, is a war crime. The UN is warning us of a humanitarian disaster unfolding right before our eyes. The collective punishment of blockading Gaza and denying access to food, water, electricity and medical aid to its citizens is also prohibited under international law. The forced displacement of Palestinians by Israel to the south of the Wadi Gaza line is also a breach of international law.

We must see an immediate ceasefire by all involved and we need to see it now. The illegal occupation, siege and policies of apartheid must stop. What we have seen in the past two weeks points to an urgent need for international intervention and for efforts to be made to impose a ceasefire immediately. This needs to be followed up with a pathway towards a sustainable peace for a region and a roadmap to a Palestinian state.

This situation sits on a knife-edge. The atrocities that we have witnessed have the potential to spill over and violence could spread across the Middle East. There must be a concerted effort by all the parties involved to ensure that all human life and rights are protected. The world cannot stand by any longer and just watch. The Palestinian people have suffered for decades. It is time now that their suffering stopped.

Deputy Réada Cronin

As we speak here this evening, Israel is raining hell on Gaza. It is horror beyond measure. I am sticking to raw politics tonight because I do not have the language to deal adequately with the human slaughterhouse scenes that we see on our screens. The EU leadership needs to immediately up its game for Gaza and the Palestinian people. Millions of Europeans looked aghast at the antics of Commission President Ursula von der Leyen last week. In whose name was she acting? What was she doing, thinking she was representing Ireland? Her unilateral actions expose a deep and dangerous gap between an unelected EU governor and the governed. It is a gap in democracy that must be addressed and filled. War crimes are war crimes, regardless of who commits them, Ursula. A right to defend itself does not give anyone carte blanche to bomb, shell, displace and dismantle the Palestinian people for generations. That is an indiscriminate attack, not defence.

I was speaking to the Tánaiste yesterday at the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence. We spoke about the intergenerational trauma that the Jewish community must feel across Europe. It is vital that the EU acts immediately to make sure that any inherited cultural guilt around the arrest, transportation and extermination of European Jews held by any European country cannot and must not become a barrier to the protection of the brutalised and defenceless people of Gaza. Palestinians must not pay the price for the sins of Europe. Context is what it is all about.

Once again, I give my condolences in this House to Kim Danti and Emily Hand. I absolutely abhor the Hamas attacks. It must release the hostages, starting with the children. Likewise, Israel must realise child prisoners, starting with the children whom it holds under administrative detention. All children must be returned to their families immediately. As politicians, we must look at this situation in the broader context of the conflict if we want to see an end to the conflict and a real route to peace. We must see it in the context of the occupation, annexation, oppression, apartheid, the pain from 1948 and 1967, the harassment, imprisonment, confinement, death and displacement of the Palestinian people in all the decades since and possibly to come if we do not do something. That history did not start on 7 October. Of course Israel has the right to defend itself. Everyone does, except Gaza and Palestine, and while Israel defends itself, who will defend Gaza from Israeli war crimes? A ceasefire is the only way.

Deputy Michael Collins

In the week of the devastating Hamas attack on Israel, which occurred on Saturday, 7 October, we found ourselves confronted with the grim reality of more than 260 innocent festivalgoers, including women, children and the elderly, who tragically lost their lives. Additionally, more than 199 Israelis, including an 85-year-old woman, were taken hostage in Gaza. The death toll surpassed 1,400, marking an unprecedented tragedy in Israel's history. This brutal assault has shaken the nature to its core, akin to the impact of 9/11 or Pearl Harbour. Israel undoubtedly has the right to defend itself and the desire to dismantle Hamas is understandable.

However, displacing half of Gaza's population and imposing an embargo on essential resources is a collective punishment that must be avoided. Israel should adhere to humanitarian law principles, especially when dealing with a densely populated area like Gaza. Friends of Israel worldwide must recognise the risks of a response leading to mass civilian casualties among Palestinians. International allies, including the US and UK, have pledged support and condemned recent events. We must urge Israel to exercise restraint, as democracies uphold a different standard, even in challenging times. The consequences of failing to adhere to these principles could be catastrophic, potentially triggering a regional conflict.

We should maximise diplomatic efforts to secure the release of Israeli hostages and establish humanitarian corridors out of Gaza. Israel's safety is paramount, but we must also learn from history and address the root cause of this conflict. Ending the cycle of violence requires finding a path for Israelis and Palestinians to co-exist with dignity. As the Israel-Hamas conflict escalates, the international community should plea for restraint and a peaceful resolution. The situation is dire, with the potential to engulf the entire Middle East in chaos. Let us remember that this conflict has far-reaching implications. It affects not only Israel and Gaza, but the stability of the entire region.

Efforts for peace and diplomacy must be our priority in these perilous times. Ireland can play a significant role, as we are a neutral country. We should always remain neutral, respect our neutrality and play a role in peace-making efforts with Israel. We should not make serious comments that put us on one side of the battle or the other. We need to and can play a peacekeeping role in this serious situation.

Deputy Michael Healy-Rae

At the outset, we have to say that we absolutely condemn what is going on, which is, in effect, war crimes being committed against the most vulnerable of people. What we have to say tonight is that the murder of innocent people, wherever it happens, in whatever name, and for whatever cause, cannot be allowed. It has to be condemned by all right-thinking people and governments. Take our own small country as an example. Who have we to thank for peace in this country? We have people like the Sinn Féin Party, Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, and everybody who came together.

Deputy Mattie McGrath

John Hume.

Deputy Michael Healy-Rae

John Hume, of course.

All these people came together and they used a biro, their brains and their intelligence.

We have to absolutely condemn this and tell these people they have to go down the peaceful road. There will have to be an immediate ceasefire on all fronts. That is the only simple way of putting this. We have to immediately call this out for what it is: war crimes. We have to also say that we expect, similar to the call on Russia, immediate safe corridors to be put in place to allow people to get to safety. We cannot idly stand by. I am delighted to see political parties and Independents give this the time it rightfully deserves. I saw people who came this evening to make their voices known on our behalf outside the Dáil this evening, and people who were protesting for peace, to save lives, and for innocent people, including women, children and indeed men, who are being savagely killed in their home place. We have to recognise this. We call for common sense to prevail among world leaders and for this to come to an immediate end.

Deputy Danny Healy-Rae

I am glad to get a chance to talk and be united with everyone else in the Chamber. We are all calling for peace. No matter how long a war goes on, it has to finish. It would be much better, however, if it finished sooner rather than later. What happened last night, with a hospital being blown to smithereens and more than 500 patients killed in it, is horrible and disastrous.

This country suffered for 700 or 800 years and had an awful fight to get our own self-determination. The one thing I have seen around the hills and glens where I have done contracting work, and it reminds me every day, are the ridges of Garrane that were sat by people at that time. They never dug them because they starved with the hunger when the blight took their crop, while at the same time we had plenty of produce, including beef and grain, going across the water as people here starved. They died one way or another.

What is happening is terrible when children and babies have no water or food, or shelter from incoming bombs and missiles. They are in a terrible way and cannot get out. They are cornered like a rat or anything inside a hole. They cannot get out. Corridors must be opened up to let medicines and doctors in and to ensure these people are treated humanely. It is desperate what is going on. We can do little in the Chamber only ask the greater powers to raise the bar, get stuck into this thing, and ensure it is called off as soon as possible. As I said, all wars have to end. It is terrible what is happening to the innocent. This is not a fair war at all. We know that Hamas looked for it and caused it. Hamas must be rooted out, although I do not know how it can be because it is entrenched. We are all calling for peace.

Deputy Mattie McGrath

I, too, am delighted to speak on behalf of our group to condemn utterly and totally the actions of Hamas and what happened. We had our Stardust tragedy, involving all the young people who were in Dublin that night all of 40 years ago, and see the trauma that caused. People are still looking for justice for those 48 young people who were enjoying themselves. To cross a border, to break in, to shoot and maim, to take hostages, and to mutilate young people having a night's fun, is just one of the most vicious and pernicious crimes you could have. The reaction by Israel, as expected, has been ferocious, vicious and outrageous. War crimes have been committed.

I also condemn Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission. I support the President Higgins in correcting her and calling her to order. The EU has run away with itself since the war in Ukraine. We have tarnished our neutrality since that war, especially the Tánaiste. We have tarnished it greatly. We are respected all over the world. I, too, support our soldiers who are on peacekeeping duties in the region at the moment. I hope they get home safe. Some of our NGOs are there also, as are our diplomatic staff, trying to get people out of there and repatriated home to Ireland safely.

I heard the dad on radio last week who was crying and who said he was glad his daughter was dead rather than being mutilated and subjected to all kinds of horrific crimes. It is horrific. As others said, we have had great leaders who have got peace, such as Fr. Alec Reid, Martin Mansergh, John Hume, Martin McGuinness and many others. We have the way and we will show the way, but we should maintain our neutrality. We will be the voice, as a neutral county which suffered for 800 years. We had Bloody Sunday. We had Seán Hogan. Many others were shot. We know all about it but it was nothing on the scale of this. It is horrific and is even worse when religion and the name of religion are involved.

I call on every right-thinking person, and America as well, to behave themselves, not that America listens to us because its interventions are not helpful either. The Middle East is a powder keg at present. I have been to Lebanon and sat in places there. I know how dangerous it is. We need to have calm heads now, but we need to put maximum pressure on Israel to stop the barbarity and ensure that Hamas is exposed. It cannot use its own population as human shields, including women and children. That is an awful, barbaric terrorist act as well. We need to have our voice heard loud and clear.

Deputy Colm Burke

The international community must support the call by the UN Secretary General for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. The United States has an obligation, as Israel's main partner, to persuade it to stop the bombing of Gaza. The collective punishment of the people of Gaza is a gross violation of human rights. The people of Gaza are being killed, wounded and traumatised without respite. This must be condemned without reservation. A ground invasion of Gaza will only bring more chaos. The immediate opening of a humanitarian corridor to allow desperately needed supplies to enter Gaza must be a priority.

I condemn without hesitation the brutal and murderous Hamas attack on Israel. The mass murder of civilians, the taking of hostages, and their abduction into Gaza are beyond horror. The taking of hostages is condemned in the Koran. The international community must demand the release of hostages without preconditions. There needs to be urgent mediation by Arab states and the other parties to bring about the release of the Israeli hostages.

In 2009, I visited Gaza as part of an EU mission. This was after the attack by Israel, which lasted more than 20 days. Some 1,440 people were killed, 350 of whom were children. White phosphorous, which burns not only the skin but right into the bone, was used. Cluster munitions, similar to an IRA nail bomb, were used. There was no reprimand from the international community. That was 14 years ago and nothing has changed since.

When will we see the stopping of bombing? The last time around, it was always more than 1,500 or 2,000 people killed. Will it be 10,000, 20,000 or 30,000 people this time? We need to call a halt at this stage to what is currently occurring there. The size of Gaza should be remembered. It is the distance from Cork to Youghal, or 41 km long and 10 km wide, with 2.3 million people locked in there. It can be imagined how we would react if 2.3 million Irish people were locked into that small block of land.

In this time of crisis and great danger, we must not give up hope. The pursuit of justice and peace must never be abandoned. We must always choose life over death.

Deputy Jim O'Callaghan

At present, the world is a very dangerous place. There is a serious risk this could escalate further beyond the regional dispute we see in the Middle East.

I know people may say it was a dangerous place 50 years ago or 100 years ago or further back, but in fact when we look at what is happening now, there seems to be an inability on the part of people to recognise that we have to share the planet together. What has also had a significant impact and differentiates this and current disputes from historical disputes is that we now have vast and immediate communication. Every person is aware fairly immediately of outrages that have taken place in certain parts of the world. Previously, these were regional disputes that remained in the regions and did not spread with such alarm around the world. In part that is the reason there was so much outrage at the massacre perpetrated by Hamas on the people of southern Israel on 7 October last. That was a massacre that was not done in the name of the Palestinian people. In fact, it was very damaging to the cause and the interests of the Palestinian people. I was pleased to hear President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority confirm that Hamas did not represent the Palestinian people or the Palestinian cause.

We also must recognise, however, that the reason for the outrage that is spreading is because everyone can see the excessive response Israel is perpetrating upon the innocent people who are living in Gaza. We can see, and the world can see, that the excessive response by blocking off food, electricity and water is a breach of international humanitarian law. It is a breach of what people recognise as being right. Although Israel may say it is not its intention to target civilians, by bombing an area of that density, the effect of its actions is that civilians will be bombed, severely injured and killed. This ultimately is a political problem that requires a political solution. There are extremes that will never be satisfied. Hamas will never be satisfied by a political solution. As politicians in Ireland, we must inform leaders around the world that the only way this problem will be resolved is through a political resolution. Unfortunately, one way of ensuring we do not get a political resolution is if in the world we decide to divide ourselves into teams. We will have the Israeli team. We will have the Palestinian team. One thing Ireland can do is bring a balanced approach to this and use and exercise our faculties to bring about a recognition of what needs to be the solution. We need brave politicians to manifest themselves and to appear in Palestine and in Israel. We all know in this House what a brave politician is. A brave politician is a politician who says something they know is right but is not supported by the people who support them. We have had brave politicians in Ireland in the past. It is extremely difficult and it is much more difficult out in the Middle East, but it is a requirement that we get politicians in Palestine, in Israel and around the world to recognise that there is a greater peace that can be achieved through resolution and through settlement.

In the short term, we need, as others in this House have stated, a humanitarian ceasefire. We need all hostages to be released. We need Israel to ensure food, water and electricity gets back into Gaza. Once we do those short-term preliminary measures, there is then an obligation on global and regional powers to ensure the people in those countries and their political leaders recognise that this problem will never be resolved unless there is a political system the majority of people buy into. We will never get the extremes, and the political solution must be a two-state solution.

Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh

We very recently marked the centenary of Ireland's accession to the League of Nations, our first faltering steps as a newly formed nation on the international stage and our first subscription to the idea of an international rules-based order. This was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace, founded in the aftermath of the calamity that was the First World War. It turned out to be a morning without noon, with Europe again descending into warfare less than a generation later, but it was perhaps the first international attempt to formulate some kind of framework to preserve some semblance of our better selves in the face of unspeakable violence.

There is a duality in human nature. We have a common shared humanity but also a capacity for inhumanity. We have a capacity for kindness but also for savagery, for compassion but also for deeply ingrained hatred. We must be clear-eyed also in recognising how the brutalising effects of warfare, aggression, occupation and oppression tilt that balance. We have seen this week the slow festering of ongoing conflict and oppression erupt into atrocities that have shocked all of us and must be abhorred and condemned in the strongest terms. Many of those rules we have set ourselves to guard against our own worst natures have been shattered.

Taking just the provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention as an example, regarding the taking of hostages, the use of collective punishment, the mass forcible transfer of people, and the abject and deliberate failure in the obligations of an occupying power to provide for hygiene and public health, there is a strong case to answer that each of these, at the very least, has been transgressed. International institutions, including the UN and the International Criminal Court, must play a stronger role in holding the perpetrators of these heinous acts to account. I am reminded of Martin Luther King telling us that "the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends towards justice". It is very hard to feel that right now because the violence, the barbarism and the savagery we have seen perpetrated on Israel and in Gaza is egregious and abhorrent but it is not new. This is a recurring nightmare and it is not a status quo that can be maintained. The long lens of history will see this resolved for better or for worse, either through a lasting settlement and a lasting peace that would have to be underpinned by a two-state solution or through the complete subjugation or eradication of a people and a nation. There is a choice to be made between our better selves and our worse nature.

We chose as a fledgeling state 100 years ago to engage in the structures of multilateralism. We must use that voice today on an international stage to push for the immediate cessation of hostilities, the end to collective punishment, the unconditional release of hostages, the facilitation of humanitarian aid, and in the longer term an equitable and lasting peace.

Deputy Francis Noel Duffy

The scale of loss of life in the latest events in Israel and Palestine can be difficult for us to comprehend. While we can be shocked, saddened and angered by the massacres, those people unknown to us can, unfortunately, become mere statistics in this terrible conflict. Unless such events touch our lives, we cannot truly know the horror and devastation of needless loss of life. These events have touched our lives. My parliamentary assistant and friend, Lara Alagha, and her sister, Yara, who up until recently worked for the Civil Engagement Group in the Seanad, have lost 28 members of their family, including young children. I cannot begin to comprehend the trauma they are experiencing. Regardless of history and persecution, the murder of innocents is not and never will be justifiable.

We know from bitter experience on these isles that historical hatred cannot and will not be solved by revenge and retribution. Each attack and counterattack exacerbates human suffering, robbing innocent people of their mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and loved ones, which in turn perpetuates the cycle of hatred. We must avoid statements that blame or favour one side of this conflict or the other. We must remain on the side of humanity, advocate strongly for a political solution to this complex issue, and do everything in our power to lobby our EU counterparts to do the same. We have shown on these shores that a peace process is possible and can be achieved through dialogue and not violence. I will use some of my remaining time to observe a moment's silence for Lara, Yara, their family and all the innocent people who have lost their lives on both sides of this terrible conflict.

An Cathaoirleach Gníomhach (Deputy Sean Sherlock)

I thank the Deputy. We will move on to the Independent Group and I call Deputy Harkin.

Deputy Marian Harkin

There are times when mere words just seem futile and this is one of them. If we think of the millions of words that have been spoken, written, screamed or whispered in agony about the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, those words seem to have evaporated and hold no weight. If we think of the billions of words used to negotiate one peace effort after another and one UN resolution after another for so many years to no effect, they too have disappeared.

Yet tonight, I suppose that words are all we have at our disposal. Despite feeling helpless, we must never be hopeless. Despite the rage and fury at the never-ending cycle of violence, we have to choose our words carefully. We must not inflame but dampen down, not attack but defend and protect in any way we can the innocent people on both sides who find themselves in this maelstrom of horror and terror.

Tonight we are speaking to a Government motion and a number of amendments. I support this motion because I believe it is balanced. Some of the amendments might refine it in a more positive way, particularly those tabled by Deputy Duncan Smith, but the motion as it stands seeks to apportion blame where it should and responsibility for further actions where it should in a strong and straightforward way, with the protection of innocent civilians as its core objective.

I am proud that Ireland has echoed the call of the UN Secretary General for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. That, alongside the unconditional release of all hostages, might provide some grounds to avoid a humanitarian disaster and a wider war. The dogs of war are straining at the leash. There are those, not only on both sides of this conflict but elsewhere as well, who would walk us straight into terror. We, by any words we can utter or actions we take, must do everything to avoid that. In the context of words that should not be spoken, I want to share my disappointment and real annoyance at the President of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the Hungarian ambassador, whose words were most damaging.

My final words are to remind people that the Gaza Strip is approximately a quarter the size of County Leitrim, with 65 times the population of the latter. Any bombing or land invasion of Gaza would be unconscionable. I call on our friends in the US to do all in their power to avoid this.

Deputy Joan Collins

We have a moral duty in respect of what we are witnessing happening to the Palestinian people right now. The cutting off of food, electricity and water is the definition of a war crime and a collective punishment. It is a clear sign that when one side has the power to shut off the basic needs of the other, that is not a conflict; it is genocide. This is the continuation of a 75-year programme by the Israeli state to remove Palestinians from Palestine. That is genocide. Ireland needs to call this a genocide. If you are not against it, you are for it.

We have seen more than 3,300 Gazans killed so far. Unfortunately, we will see many more in the coming days. There are over 2 million people living in Gaza. The majority are children. More than 1 million children who live in an area less than half the size of Louth are being bombed indiscriminately. The Israelis are striking schools, hospitals and refugee shelters. Every one of those strikes is a war crime.

I condemn all targeting or murdering of civilians or the taking of hostages by Hamas activists or any organisation. I extend my sympathies to all those who have been affected by these killings. The reality is that there is only one side Ireland can put pressure on, and only one side that has the power to end this. We have economic and state ties with Israel. We do not have those with Hamas. If the Government has any real interest in peace, it will recognise that. The Israeli state is the only side with the power to switch off electricity, food, medical supplies and water for Gazans and the only side we have any political, diplomatic or economic ties to leverage towards peace.

Ireland has a historical and moral duty to stand against the Israeli state in what it is doing to the Palestinian people. We must pressure the Israeli Government to immediately end all military action against Palestinians and negotiate a ceasefire, call for the immediate ending of the siege of Gaza, turn back on water, food and electricity, and allow of emergency humanitarian aid into Gaza. Hamas must release the hostages.

Ireland must recognise Palestinian statehood and a right to return for all Palestinians. It must also implement a State programme of boycott, divestment and sanction of the Israeli state until there is a deal for peace in Palestine. We need to pressure the EU to follow suit.

Deputy Catherine Connolly

I am on record for unreservedly condemning the Hamas attack. Sadaka – The Ireland Palestine Alliance has stated unreservedly: "The international community has rightly condemned the killing of Israeli citizens and the taking of others as hostages." It goes on to make a number of other points, stating:

According to UNRWA, nothing has been allowed into Gaza for the last eleven days. A humanitarian corridor must be opened

[...]The people of Gaza must not be removed from Gaza to the Sinai. Most Gazans are already refugees ...

It makes ten points, which are well worth reading. Some of these have been reinforced by the Tánaiste, who spoke about the extra funding he will give to Palestine. I welcome that.

The Tánaiste stated: "We cannot forget that 80% of the Palestinian population in Gaza is dependent on international assistance for basic humanitarian and human needs." Quite clearly, we must ask the question as to how this has happened. I do not have time to go into the history of the matter, but the Tánaiste has acknowledged that 80% of the population has been kept in a complete state of deprivation and poverty and is utterly helpless and dependent. As a result of that, more than a week ago we got the Hamas attack and now Israel has gone in.

We should join together because most of us are in agreement. I would say nearly everyone in the Dáil is in agreement that what Hamas did was wrong and, equally, what Israel has done and is doing is totally wrong. That should be contemplated by the motion. Unfortunately, it is not. I put a very simple amendment, that we should also not express our concern but condemn the actions of Israel because they are clearly not in keeping with international law. Even that simple two-sentence amendment was not acceptable to the Government.

As quickly as I can, I will go through some facts. This afternoon, Israel bombed the mosque in Gaza killing displaced people who had fled north Gaza seeking shelter. That is completely and utterly not allowed under the Geneva Convention. The church in Jerusalem, which manages the hospital, has announced it received three phone warnings from the Israeli occupation forces that they would strike the Baptist hospital before they did so. Following the bombing of the hospital in Gaza yesterday evening, with more than 500 people - patients, doctors and those sheltering - dead, Ursula von der Leyen tweeted: "Hamas terror is now bringing immense suffering to the Palestinian people." Dr. von der Leyen doubled down on the statement that Israel has a right to defend itself. This is the same woman who told us that the Israelis made the desert bloom.

Calls for humanitarian corridors are very welcome. These corridors must be provided, but we need peace. We need a complete cessation of the violence.

When we talk about understanding the feelings of Israeli people - which I do - and what was perpetrated on civilians and hostages taken, let me put their response in context. What they are seeking is not justice, fairness or a two-state solution but, straight from the Bible, revenge. In case people are in any doubt about that, I will finish with a few quotations. The Israeli defence minister stated, “We are fighting human animals and we act accordingly " and "we will eliminate everything.”; the Israeli Prime Minister said: "This is a struggle between the children of light and the children of darkness, between humanity and the law of the jungle." An Israeli army spokesperson stated: “The emphasis [is] on damage and not on accuracy.” Israel’s President Herzog stated: "It's an entire nation out there that is responsible. The rhetoric about civilians not being aware or involved is absolutely untrue." A member of the Israeli Parliament said: "I urge you to do everything and use doomsday weapons fearlessly against our enemies." Another stated: "Right now, one goal: Nakba! A Nakba that will overshadow the [one] of 1948.". A former Israeli Prime Minister said: "I am not going to feed electricity or water to my enemies." and "We’re fighting Nazis". The final quote is from the Israeli Minister of National Security, who stated: "As long as Hamas does not release the hostages in its hands, the only thing that needs to enter Gaza are hundreds of tons of explosives from the Air Force, not an ounce of humanitarian aid."

As we speak, the Americans are sending warplanes, warships and the war industry to be there with Israel. They are building up.

Hamas is not the target here. There are bigger targets in question here. We need to use the voice we have. We are one of the few neutral countries in the world. That makes us distinct. It builds on our experience. We stand on our integrity and we speak truth to power and say, "Israel, what you are doing is vengeful and wrong".

Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne

I want to express my sincere and heartfelt condolences to all who have lost their loved ones in recent days. Excruciating pain resounds across the world as we watch in utter despair at the sheer destruction unfolding. Over the last days, my office has received thousands of emails from people across Ireland as has every Member of this House. I want to take the opportunity to state my full and unwavering support for the innocent people of Palestine and to condemn the actions of Hamas. I also unequivocally condemn the genocide by Israel.

The senseless attack on a hospital in Gaza last night has shown the real intention of Israel is to wipe out Palestine. Some of the statements in recent days from Israeli leaders have been absolutely appalling and, bluntly, repulsive with the Israeli defence minister comparing the people of Palestine to animals. I was also disgusted by the remarks from President von der Leyen last week. Her tacit endorsement of the Israeli regime, especially in the shadow of what happened last night, will not be forgotten soon by the people of this island. As part of the international community, it is our role and duty to hold regimes in the commission of war crimes accountable. I ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs formally summon the Israeli ambassador to answer for the significant breaches of the fourth Geneva Convention that have been and continue to be committed by his state. Without question, what is needed is a humanitarian ceasefire and the opening of humanitarian corridors. We should leverage everything we have to make that happen. I call on the Irish Government to immediately implement sanctions on trade with Israel and to press for the International Criminal Court to exercise its jurisdiction over the occupied territories and to hold those responsible for these atrocities accountable.

Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs (Deputy Sean Fleming)

I thank the Deputies for their valuable contributions to this debate over the past several hours. I first to echo the horror they have all expressed at the tragedy unfolding in Israel and Gaza as we speak. The scenes we have witnessed over the last few days have left us all fundamentally shaken. There can be no excuse for this level of brutality and bloodshed.

I am appalled by the strike on the hospital in Gaza and the deaths of hundreds of patients, staff and civilians taking shelter. The full facts must be established and those responsible must be held to account. Attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are a breach of international humanitarian law.

I want to restate that I unequivocally condemn the initial attack by Hamas on Israel and the systematic targeting of civilians, including young children and the elderly. The death of a young Irish woman was truly devastating and as a nation we are united in mourning Kim Damti. She is a member of the Cooper family in Coolrain, County Laois who are immediate neighbours of mine. I know the family and I personally want to extend deepest sympathies to the family not only from the Houses of the Oireachtas but especially the Oireachtas Members in Laois-Offaly. I think Deputies will understand my saying that.

I also want to extend our sympathies to the family of Emily Hand, whose father we saw on the television at the weekend, and those of members of the Oireachtas community to Yara Alagha and her sister Lara as I understand up to 28 members of their extended family have been killed and they are well-known to many in the Oireachtas. No matter where in the world, we all know someone who has been directly affected.

The actions by Hamas were vile and barbaric but we need to distinguish between Hamas and Palestinians civilians in Gaza. We cannot see collective punishment of the civilian population for the crimes of Hamas. I understand the sentiment expressed by so many Deputies relating to the continued bombardment of Gaza. We have to be clear that Israel has the right to defend itself and its people from attack, but it is critical that this is done within the parameters of law. International humanitarian law, and the principle of proportionality, exist for a reason. They are universally applicable for a very good reason. However heinous the attack that prompts the right to self-defence, militaries are obligated to protect civilians in all their actions. We have to reject unequivocally, consistently and vocally, those who advocate for violence as a means to resolve conflict in the Middle East. The numbers of lives which have been lost, irrevocably damaged, or placed in mortal danger continues to rise.

A commitment to multilateralism - the rules-international based international order, with the UN charter at its core - is the cornerstone of Irish foreign policy. This situation is no different. This has been the Tánaiste’s message to all his counterparts in Europe and in the region that he has been speaking to over the last week. The UN Secretary-General has made it very clear; even wars have rules. International humanitarian law exists for a reason. Its overarching aim is to protect civilians. That means all civilians, everywhere.

The rules of war exist to help preserve humanity in its darkest moments, and they desperately need to be followed here now. They are, and should remain, our compass to ensure that we put humanity first. The rules are clear and they apply to all sides in all conflicts everywhere; state and non-state armed groups alike.

Another significant issue, beyond the bombardment and risk of expected invasion, is of course the lack of basic resources available to civilians in Gaza as a result of the continued restrictions preventing necessities from entering the region. I have seen increasingly worrying reports over the last few days regarding the hardships being faced by civilians in Gaza. Many are now without access to basic needs such as water and electricity, and many hundreds of thousands have been displaced from their homes. The decision by the Israeli military to tell the entire civilian population in the north of Gaza to move southward for their own safety was unrealistic, unworkable and dangerous from the beginning.

We are seeing the terrible humanitarian consequences caused by these decisions. Our partners in Gaza have informed us that the situation is dire and likely to worsen in the coming days unless relief aid arrives. As he mentioned in his statement, the Tánaiste spoke with the Commissioner General of United Nations Relief and Works Agency, UNRWA, on Monday evening, who described the situation as an “unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe”. There is an urgent need for humanitarian corridors to be established to deliver vital humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians. We are in ongoing contact with the UN, International Committee of the Red Cross and regional partners on this issue. It is essential that this happens as a matter of urgency to prevent further loss of life.

As Minister of State with responsibility for international development, I am proud to confirm that it remains Ireland’s firm stance that our support to those most vulnerable through development and humanitarian activities in the occupied Palestinian territory will be maintained. We believe that this support provides a crucial source of stability and we do not support the suspension of aid to the Palestinian people.

Ireland has a long-standing commitment to supporting humanitarian aid. Our assistance programme this year was to amount to €16 million for Palestine; that will be almost double after the Tánaiste’s announcement here this afternoon of a further €13 million in the light of the extensive needs in Gaza. Ireland’s assistance programme to the Palestinians through UNRWA, now totalling €29 million this year, is more important now than ever, and it will continue. It will help hundreds of thousands affected by the crisis in Gaza as quickly as we can open channels to humanitarian aid. Even in the last two hours since that announcement was made the UNRWA has publicly acknowledged that contribution. It will ensure that it will get to the hundreds of thousands of people who need help once the humanitarian routes are open. I also want to welcome the announcement of the EU’s humanitarian funding to Palestine will be tripled to €75 million. The EU and member states are united in our condemnation of the Hamas attack on Israel and our insistence that Israel’s response must be within the parameters of international law.

The EU has an important role to play. Our Common Foreign and Security Policy, which all member states help to share and are required by the treaties to implemented.

I want to mention - it has been referred to by one or two people - that many families in Ireland are rightly concerned about what is happening because 500 members of our Defence Forces are on UN peacekeeping missions and duties in Lebanon as we speak. Our thoughts are with all of those soldiers - both male and female; I stress that. Their families want to be assured that they will be kept safe. They are on heightened alert, as are their families at home. We want to make sure they can continue their work insofar as possible at this difficult time and that they all come home safely when their term expires.

Ministers discussed the European Commission's review of development assistance to the Palestinians. The Tánaiste welcomed the clarification that the development co-operation funding for Palestine will not be suspended during the course of this review. I already indicated the level of funding - we want to get supplies directly to those people. We have seen things like but not of this scale in several regions around the world where there have been earthquakes or floods or issues like that. After a few days, through the UN, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and other organisations, we are able to get supplies directly to places, once it safe to do so. We want to ensure that is the case. It is essential that UN agencies, most crucially United Nations Relief Works Agency, are allowed to continue their work in the coming days and weeks because we need that assistance to be provided.

I also acknowledge that there was an extensive motion from the Government before the House. Statements are separate; we had the motion earlier. It unreservedly condemns the brutal attack by Hamas. It also echoes the call by the UN for an immediate ceasefire to meet the urgent humanitarian needs of civilians in Gaza. It also emphasises Israel's right to defend itself but it must be in line with international law. Some amendments have been tabled to the motion but I think there will be general support for it when the time comes to deal with it. I thank everybody for their extensive contributions in Dáil Éireann today. There will be similar statements in Seanad Éireann tomorrow. We are reflecting the views of the people of Ireland in our debate in both Houses of the Oireachtas over these two days.