Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said legislation banning trade with the occupied territories would not make an immediate impact on the Israeli government or its resumed bombing campaign in Gaza.
Mr Martin is attending a meeting of the European Council in Brussels on Thursday, with defence and security issues top of the agenda, alongside the looming threat of a trade war with the United States.
Asked whether the resumption of hostilities in Gaza added a fresh impetus for the Government to bring forward legislation in line with the Occupied Territories Bill, which it has committed to “progress”, Mr Martin said Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Harris was working on the Bill.
“A lot of the amendments have been worked on by the officials in the Department of Foreign Affairs.”
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[ Latest Israeli strikes on Gaza kill at least 70 Palestinians, hospitals sayOpens in new window ]
The Bill is not on the spring legislative agenda, which runs until July – but Mr Martin said legislation would “hopefully” be ready for inclusion on the agenda of the next Dáil session.
“One way or the other, I don’t think it’s going to impact on the immediate decisions of the Israeli government in respect of Gaza, I think that needs to be said.”
He said as much pressure as possible had to be brought to bear by Europe and the United States on Israel to stop its bombing campaign.
“There was no warning. Many, many people had come back after the ceasefire to their homes in the expectation they were going to experience some degree of peace and harmony, and that has been shattered by what appears to be indiscriminate bombing of Palestinian homes and families.
“The Occupied Territories Bill isn’t going to change that,” he said.
EU leaders are meeting on Thursday against the backdrop of a potential trade war with the United States, with President Donald Trump indicating that he would announce a round of tariffs on the bloc on April 2nd. Mr Martin said Europe will “give a bit of time” before responding.
[ Israeli military says it has begun new ground operation in GazaOpens in new window ]
The Irish view was that “Europe has to be strategic in its response, particularly where we enjoy surpluses”, he said.
“The wise thing to do is to await the full presentation from the US on April 2nd and then comprehensively respond.”
Mr Martin reiterated the Government did not intend to have a cost*of-living package in the autumn budget, despite the potential impact of a trade war. “Because of the challenging situation, from a budget perspective we have to be careful,” he said.
“Our focus in the budget will be on sustained provision within the existing estimates. There will not be cost-of-living packages as happened last year.”
Mr Martin said EU leaders were working on the wording of a statement regarding the resumption of bombing in Gaza by Israel, “deploring the shocking bombing that has occurred over the last 48 hours leading to the deaths of so many innocent people”.
He said that statements on Wednesday from Israeli politicians, including foreign minister Israel Katz “seem to me to amount to collective punishment of the Palestinians within Gaza”.
“It is quite shocking, it needs to stop, and Europe needs to say stop to the killings and to the slaughter that’s happening in Gaza at the moment,” he said, repeating his call for the release of all hostages.
The Taoiseach said he was looking forward to a briefing by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who is due to address EU leaders on Thursday by video link on the ongoing peace talks seeking to de-escalate the conflict brought on by the Russian invasion of his country.
He said the talks sought to “enable a substantive ceasefire leading to a just and lasting and sustainable peace”.
EU leaders are also set to discuss competitiveness, with Mr Martin saying Ireland strongly favours expanding the single market, as well as working to get energy prices down and investing in the electricity grid, which he said was important for consumers and citizens.
