Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 24 January 2024
60. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs for an update on his engagement at EU level with a view to securing a ceasefire in Gaza; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3404/24]
View answerI have been engaging intensively with EU, regional and international partners since the beginning of this crisis in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory. I have conveyed the urgent need for a sustainable humanitarian ceasefire and a significant increase in humanitarian access and supplies into Gaza. Ireland’s diplomatic efforts are focused on these two core objectives.
I attended several meetings of the EU Foreign Affairs Council since the Hamas attacks on 7th October. I have consistently emphasised that a purely military approach was unworkable and called on my EU counterparts to push for a humanitarian ceasefire.
On Monday, I attended the Foreign Affairs Council of the EU in Brussels, which was attended by the Israeli, Palestinian, Jordanian, Egyptian and Saudi Arabian Foreign Ministers and the Secretary General of the League of Arab States. I stated Ireland’s key priorities and reiterated that the EU must be robust in underlining that international law applies in all conflicts, to all parties; state actors and non-state actors alike.
Additionally, I raised my concern with the Israeli Foreign Minister of with the campaign of de-legitimisation and disinformation against UN bodies and international organisations. I also seperately organised a meeting of likeminded EU Foreign Ministers on 21 January to discuss current efforts to secure a ceasefire and reinvigorate the peace process.
