I propose to take Questions Nos. 26, 39 and 53 together.
I reiterate the comments made in my reply to Deputy Connolly to Parliamentary Question No. 88 of 21 March 2023. Our position remains unchanged. Ireland is committed to supporting a just and sustainable peace on the basis of a two-State solution.
I have not yet spoken to my Israeli counterpart, Foreign Minister Cohen, though hope to do so in due course to repeat our concerns on demolitions and the seizure of Palestinian property.
My officials have engaged with the Israeli Ambassador in Dublin in recent weeks, including on the issue of the recent escalation of violence in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory. I issued statements on 24 March and 7 April in which I expressed my concern at the situation on the ground and highlighted the importance of protection of civilians.
The focus of parties must be on urgent de-escalation and on the restoration of a genuine political horizon. The only lasting solution to the conflict can be through relaunching meaningful negotiations between the parties to realise a two-State solution.
