Dublin, MINA – Ireland is set to move forward with legislation that would suspend trade with Israeli firms operating in the occupied Palestinian territories, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Simon Harris announced on Saturday, Anadolu Agency reported.
In a statement shared on X, Harris confirmed that the Irish government will seek a formal decision on the legislation, known as the Occupied Territories Bill this Tuesday, with hopes that the Committee on Foreign Affairs will begin reviewing it in June.
Harris strongly condemned Israel’s ongoing blockade of Gaza, which has stopped thousands of humanitarian aid trucks, including those funded by Irish Aid for more than 6,000 Palestinians from entering the besieged strip for over 80 days.
“The starvation of children and the use of food as a weapon of war is utterly unacceptable,” Harris said. “The world has to act, and the world has not done nearly enough.”
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He also reiterated Ireland’s call for a permanent ceasefire, the immediate release of all hostages, and unimpeded humanitarian access into Gaza.
While welcoming the European Union’s recent decision to review the EU-Israel Association Agreement, Harris argued that such measures must go further.
“In my view, in the view of Ireland, it needs to be more than reviewed. It needs to be suspended because it cannot be business as usual whilst this is being carried out in Gaza,” he said.
The Occupied Territories Bill, originally introduced in 2018 by Independent Senator Frances Black, aims to prohibit the import of goods and services from areas considered illegal under international law, notably Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. []
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