Having obliterated northern Gaza, massacring thousands of Palestinians, including children, Israel now intensifies its assault on southern Gaza. Palestinians are being pushed into an area one third the size of the Gaza Strip. People ordered to evacuate now have literally no place to go. They have no food, no water and no safety.

It is a humanitarian disaster. The Taoiseach used the words "disproportionate" and "counterproductive" to describe the bombardment of Gaza and the slaughter of civilians and children. I suggest that more appropriate language is "savage", "depraved" and "criminal", as the international community continues to watch all of this unfold. Given that the Government's position is for a full and permanent ceasefire, as the Taoiseach has articulated, what is he doing now to arrive at that result? The Taoiseach set out earlier what he cannot do. Can the Taoiseach inform the House of what he is doing and what he can do?

I appreciate the Deputy's passion on this issue and I know she feels strongly about it. If she thinks there is something the Irish Government can do to force the Israeli Government and Hamas, Islamic Jihad and all those groups to agree a permanent ceasefire, that simply is not the case. We do what we can. That means assisting our citizens in Gaza to get out, and most of them are out now. It means working to secure humanitarian aid to make sure that can get into Gaza to relieve the suffering of the Palestinian people. It means using our voice as strongly as we can at EU and UN level to achieve what is achievable. If the Deputy is asking me is there something that the Government can do to make Benjamin Netanyahu change his policy in relation to Gaza, there is not. I think the Deputy knows that. If she does not know that, I am a bit worried.

It is defeatist.