Gaza ceasefire hopes grow as Occupied Territories Bill continues to move through stages

Good morning.

Hopes of a ceasefire in Gaza are tentatively growing and the story makes our front page lead this morning, even as health authorities there reported that the death toll had passed 57,000.

Sally Hayden writes from Jerusalem that Hamas was examining new ceasefire offers received from mediators Egypt and Qatar, but repeated that it wants an end to the war and the withdrawal of Israeli troops.

Gideon Saar, the Israeli foreign minister, cited “positive signs” in the talks to end the war in Gaza and free the hostages, the New York Times reported, though prime minister Binyamin Netanyhu repeated that there would be “no more Hamas . . . We are not going back to that.”

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With US pressure for a ceasefire seemingly increasing, we will likely know more today. Keep an eye on Truth Social. And irishtimes.com, obv.

In few places has Gaza roiled domestic politics as it has in Ireland, with the Government under constant pressure from Opposition and campaigners to take action against Israel. The Government has moved slowly and cautiously on the Occupied Territories Bill – though compared to most other European governments, Dublin has been moving at warp speed.

The Foreign Affairs Committee continued its pre-legislative scrutiny of the Government’s new Bill last night, with Senator Frances Black among others urging the inclusion of services in the scope of legislation. The committee is expected to conclude this phase next week and then issue a report – it could yet recommend that services are included, posing a significant conundrum for the Government.

The possible consequences of the bill continue to worry some in Government. Their worries will be heightened by comments yesterday by an influential US senator. It’s “blatant anti-semitism,” says foreign relations committee chairman Jim Risch.

The row about third level fees rumbles on, with Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald and Social Democrats acting leader Cian O’Callaghan raising the issue again on Leaders’ Questions, where Fianna Fáil deputy leader Jack Chambers – also the Minister for Public Expenditure, so not exactly a disinterested observer in all this – was asked out straight four times if he would say whether students would have to pay €3,000 for the next academic year, or €4,000. Four times he declined to say.

Earlier, the Minister for Higher Education James Lawless, whose RTE interview on Sunday kicked the whole thing off, sought to defuse the situation – a little anyway – on Kildare FM. He’ll be seeking permanent reductions in the student charge during budget negotiations, he said. But could he say for sure that fees would come down? He could not.

Souvenir hunters, maybe? A portrait of Michael D Higgins has been removed from Belfast City Hall, apparently on the orders of the new (DUP) Mayor of Belfast Tracy Kelly. Previously President Miggledy was up beside King Charles on the wall (which he would love) but Sinn Féin noticed recently that he had been deposed. Nothing is too petty for Belfast city politics.

Mayo for Sam: as talks between the EU and the Trump administration on a trade deal head into their final phase ahead of next week’s deadline, meet the European Commission’s trade spokesman, Mayoman Olof Gill who spent much of his childhood on Clare Island. “I am proud that we are holding the line for liberal values,” he says.

Poll position: Paschal Donohoe is well-placed to win another term as head honcho of the Eurogroup, the powerful group of European finance ministers, writes Jack Power.

Best reads

Economic outlook is “exceptionally uncertain”: inside the Government’s trade forum.

Finn McRedmond on the necessity for the occasional long lunch.

Micheal Martin is in Japan, but Irish pubs (and Irish music) got there first: Denis Staunton reports from a trad session in Tokyo.

The population of Ireland has grown by a third in 20 years, according to census reports north and south.

Playbook

Big Jim O’Callaghan is up for justice questions at the ungodly hour – in parliamentary terms at least – of 8.45 am this morning, followed by agriculture PQs and then the final Leaders’ Questions of the week at 12 noon. Government business in the afternoon includes EU rules regarding migrations – safe countries of origin, safe third countries, and a “recommendation on a coordinated approach to the transition out of temporary protection for displaced persons from Ukraine.”

There’s something similar in the Seanad.

It’s a quieter day at the committees today. The Defence Committee will hear from a number of witnesses – including three MEPs – about the proposed abolition of the triple lock. Safe to say the witnesses from the Irish Neutrality League, the Peace and Neutrality Alliance and the Irish Anti-War Movement will not be agitating for jumping into bed with Nato.

Elsewhere the Public Accounts Committee will interrogate officials from Children’s Health Ireland and the National Treatment Purchase Fund. There could be skin and hair flyin’ at that one alright.

The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Harris is heading for the annual Ireland-Wales Forum in Swansea, where he will meet with the First Minister of Wales, Eluned Morgan. This year’s Forum will see the launch of a new Ireland-Wales Shared Statement 2030. Exciting, no?