The Bill will not on its own end the unimaginable suffering people have experienced and are experiencing in Gaza. However, it sends out a clear message to Israel and the wider international community that there economic, political and reputational consequences for the continued expansion of illegal settlements, the occupation of Palestinian territories, genocidal action and grave violations of international law. As a country with a long tradition of peacekeeping, peacebuilding and multilateral diplomacy, the Bill helps build international pressure and encourages other states and entities to make meaningful action. Ireland's response has been consistent and sustained and is based on a deeply felt commitment to human rights and the right to self-determination. By the end of 2026, Ireland will have provided approximately €144 million in humanitarian support to the Palestinian people. We have engaged in international legal processes, including the ICJ and work through the United Nations and with our European partners to strengthen the international response. We have called for this suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement in response to the humanitarian situation and continue to press for necessary and stronger collective European action, including European-wide measures on trade with Israeli settlements. Alongside this diplomatic work, we have taken practical humanitarian action. We have facilitated the medical evacuation of seriously ill children from Gaza, accompanied by family members, for treatment in Ireland and supported over 300 people to leave Gaza since the conflict began. Ireland has recognised the State of Palestine and consistently advocated for a two-state solution and the only viable long-term solution. Our objective remains collective action at European level, which would have a greater reach and impact than the national measures alone. However, where there is the absence of consensus, we have also taken necessary action. No state should be immune from scrutiny when it comes to compliance with international law, and that is why this legislation matters. Peaceful societies are built on foundations of justice and accountability. History shows that injustice endures, retraumatises and perpetuates cycles of tension and conflict until it is confronted, something Ireland knows only too well. We criticise all violence, including the 7 October attacks. I acknowledge there is a legitimate debate about how far this Bill goes. It is a practical and principled step that ensures compliance with international legal obligations as identified in the ICJ advisory opinion of 2024, including the obligation on states to take steps to prevent trade of investment relations that assist in maintaining the illegal situation created by Israel in the occupied Palestinian territory. It will not resolve the conflict today or tomorrow. However, it has contributed and will continue to build on a growing momentum for collective, concrete and meaningful action. It reflects Ireland's commitment to ensuring that human rights and international law are respected, upheld and protected. Several member states are moving on this and we are seeing that momentum. Ireland must do everything it can to support the Palestinian people, to support peace, tackle injustice and work on a humanitarian level. I thank the Minister for bringing forward the Bill.

Sentiment score: 0.13