We are approaching Christmas. Christmas is normally a time of celebration, rest and peace. For 2.4 million people in Gaza, because of the continued barbaric and savage assault by Israel Christmas for Gazans is going to be a time of fear and death. Against the background of the slaughter Israel is visiting on the people of Gaza the United States of America on Friday took the utterly shameful and inhumane decision to veto a resolution by the UN Security Council just to call for a ceasefire to halt the horror being visited on the people of Gaza.

It is also reported in the last few days that Joe Biden, the US President, has also asked Congress to support the sale of 45,000 new tank shells to Israel for use in their Merkava tanks for use in Gaza to blow to bits more children, more women, more men, more schools, more hospitals and more water infrastructure. This of course comes on top of the fact that Biden increased the annual US support for Israel, which was $3 billion before the current massacre commenced, with a request for $14 billion to further assist Israel to conduct its slaughter.

The United States not only will not call for a stop to Israel's massacre but wants to arm it to carry on the massacre that has led to 18,000 dead, 8,000 of them children; 85% of the population driven from their homes; 1 million people now on the brink of starvation, according to the UN; only 11 of 36 hospitals functioning, and they are barely functioning; and the UN warning of a humanitarian apocalypse.

Against this background, the Christian leaders in Bethlehem have cancelled Christmas, but there is a different attitude from the US ambassador in Ireland, who has, I understand, invited all TDs to attend tonight a dinner at the ambassador’s residence in the Phoenix Park to celebrate what is called the joys of the season. What joys they intend to celebrate I cannot understand. Is it how effective their shells are in killing people and blowing up schools and hospitals? Does the Taoiseach think it would be appropriate, because I do not, for any Member of this House or Oireachtas to attend a celebration of the joys of the season when the US is blocking attempts to end the horror in Gaza? I appeal to the Taoiseach to join those boycotting this event because it is sick and disgusting against the background of what is happening in Gaza.

TDs and Senators are free to make up their own minds on these matters. I will not be attending. I have a long-standing and prior commitment to attend the Christmas carol service in the seminary in Maynooth this evening and that is the event I will be attending. It is up to other people to decide what they want to do this evening.

I restate my belief that the current crisis in Gaza is unbearable. The provision of more offensive weapons for Israel, Hamas or any other protagonist in this conflict is not part of the solution. The death toll is now truly shocking, estimated at around 18,000 people, with 1.9 million people displaced. It is difficult to know when we last saw military suffering on this scale. Perhaps it was the Iraq war or the war in Syria. Some people suggest not since the Vietnam war have we seen such violence being inflicted on a civilian population. The UN Secretary General and humanitarian agencies say we are facing an imminent humanitarian catastrophe which could involve starvation and the spread of diseases we have not seen in this country since medieval times.

There must be an immediate and sustainable humanitarian ceasefire. The relentless bombings and the killing of innocent civilians must end. Ireland has condemned the attack by Hamas and other militant groups on Israel and the devastating loss of life it caused. We restate that condemnation. There was no excuse for it. While Israel has the right to defend itself, it must be exercised within the parameters of international humanitarian law and we do not believe this is happening.

On Monday I co-signed a letter with the Prime Ministers of Spain, Belgium and Malta to European Council President Charles Michel, asking for the EU to call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. I will press that case at the European Council on Thursday and Friday. The Tánaiste did so at the Foreign Affairs Council yesterday and also sought that the European Commission examine the EU-Israel Association Agreement given the severity of the crisis, with particular regard to the human rights clause, recognising that any proposal to suspend the agreement would require consensus or unanimity at EU level. Most EU member states have called for additional sanctions against Hamas, which we support. Many other member states have called for sanctions and travel bans against violent settlers in the West Bank, and we have joined those calls as well. More than 250 people have been killed in the West Bank since early October. The West Bank is not controlled by Hamas. Those deaths are at the hands of Israel and should not have happened.

I call on all Members of this House, regardless of party and whether in government or opposition, to state clearly they will boycott this shameful event happening in the Phoenix Park in the US ambassador’s residence. It is sick and disgusting that they could talk of celebrating the joys of the season when they are blocking attempts to stop a genocidal massacre that is being visited on the people of Gaza.

I also think we need to go further. We should tell the US Government, given its shameful decision to veto the UN resolution - I presume they will do the same again at the UN General Assembly vote that takes place today - that its troops are not welcome in Shannon Airport while it continues to support and condone the massacre that Israel is conducting in Gaza. We need to be going further. I welcome the fact that the Government is calling for a ceasefire but we need sanctions. As Gideon Levy put it, Israel has to pay a price. There need to be serious sanctions, not just on so-called extremist settlers but also on the Government of Israel and the military leaders who are perpetrating a genocide. All of these people should be sanctioned. There should be arrest warrants out for people who are engaged in a mass murder of the people in Gaza.

Ireland deeply regrets the failure of the UN Security Council to agree a resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, the protection of civilians and compliance with international law, the immediate and unconditional release of hostages and urgent humanitarian access. This resolution was co-sponsored by no fewer than 99 UN member states, yet it was not adopted as a result of the veto being used. The resolution had the support of 13 of the 15 members of the Security Council, including France, which is an EU member state.

Regarding the actions we are taking as a State, as I mentioned we are among a group of European countries that is calling for a ceasefire. I will make that case in Brussels on Thursday and Friday. We support further sanctions on Hamas but also the imposition of sanctions on violent settlers in the West Bank. We have called for a review of the EU-Israel association agreement, taking into account the human rights clause, and we are also providing additional funding for the International Criminal Court, which is the body that could issue arrest warrants. It must be allowed to carry out its investigation without political interference.