Every week, I think we have witnessed the limits of human cruelty and depravity when it comes to Israel's genocide in Gaza. Each week, I am proven wrong. Israel's missile strike on Sunday evening on a tented refugee camp in Rafah was not just a despicable human rights violation; it was depraved and inhumane. On Sunday night, displaced men, women and children cowering in tents were deliberately burned alive. One man, who was pictured in the aftermath, held the badly burned body of his beheaded baby in his arms. I say this not to be graphic or to shock, but because we have to talk about the reality of the hell on earth in Gaza. What we are witnessing is mass murder by a rogue government that flouts international law and ignores rulings from international courts.

Israel's military initially described the missile strike as precise. Later, when even Israel's biggest cheerleaders expressed horror, Netanyahu said it was a tragic error, just like the tragic error last month that led to missile strikes on an aid convoy, killing seven aid workers. Is there anyone who still believes that the enormous death toll in Gaza is an error? It is abundantly clear that civilian deaths are not just acceptable to the Israeli Government; they are deliberate.

Yesterday, as civilians in Rafah searched through ashes for the dismembered remains of their loved ones, the EU issued a press statement about sanctions. In fact, it issued two statements about sanctions but they were not directed at Israel. They were about Russia. The EU has set up another sanctions regime to target Russia. Russian war crimes are rightly condemned and sanctioned by the EU but Israeli war crimes are not just ignored; they are facilitated by the EU through the sale of arms and preferential trading. Some have referred to the meeting of EU foreign ministers yesterday as being a hopeful sign that the EU apathy is ending. Frankly, it is outrageous that it took until yesterday and more than 36,000 deaths in Gaza for sanctions on Israel to even be discussed in a serious way. The EU has disgraced itself through its callous inaction and ambivalence in Gaza. EU leaders complicit in this carnage, like Ursula von der Leyen, should be ashamed.

I welcome that today we will formally recognise the State of Palestine and that finally, the Palestinian flag will fly on the grounds of Leinster House. Symbolism and solidarity are important. However, what we really need are punitive sanctions on Israel here and at EU level. Why will the Government not take that action against Israel, introduce the occupied territories Bill and at least give me the new legal advice I was promised last week but still have not received? The Government should not vote for the re-election of Ursula von der Leyen and should remove the diplomatic status of the ambassador.

I thank Deputy Cairns for raising this very important issue. Like her, I too welcome the fact that today Ireland will recognise the State of Palestine. It is a significant moment, an historic moment and an important moment to recognise that you cannot have a two-state solution without recognising two states.

Also, I hope to create a positive momentum towards more countries now recognising the State of Palestine. I know that there are others actively considering it and today I repeat my calls to them to join us through their national processes in the coming weeks.

I am very much aware that we recognise the State of Palestine today against a backdrop that is almost unimaginable and is utterly unconscionable in terms of the humanitarian catastrophe that is unfolding in Gaza, in Rafah and the region. Children are being starved and hunger is being used as a weapon of war. This country has been calling for an immediate and sustainable humanitarian ceasefire, the unconditional release of all hostages and full, safe and unhindered humanitarian access for many, many months. We are now seeing children starving and children going to bed not knowing if they will wake up. What we are also now seeing is a new, despicable trend where every now and then, amid the backdrop of death, maiming, injury and pain, an event of particular horror takes place and then the Israeli Prime Minister emerges and apologises for what he terms a "tragic mistake". April's "tragic mistake" was the bombing of aid workers providing food to starving Gazans. May's "tragic mistake" was the bombing of displaced children, parents and families who had fled to a designated safe zone in truly appalling scenes. Imagine taking one's children to somewhere that one believes they will be somewhat safe only to have that very place of refuge bombed and then to have the apology for a "tragic mistake". The question the world, including Ireland, Europe and the United States, must now ask itself is what June's "tragic mistake" will be and much more importantly, what are we going to do to stop it?

As I have consistently said, including at the April meeting of the European Council, there is an onus on every country and on the European Union to use every lever at its disposal to help bring about a ceasefire. It is not enough to just condemn, to find it repugnant or to be repulsed. There is a need for action and that is why I warmly welcome the decision of the Belgian Presidency yesterday, belatedly, to convene a meeting on the EU-Israel association agreement. This country - and there is a political consensus here on this - and Spain have been calling, since March, for the association agreement, which is effectively a trade benefit agreement, to be reviewed. Contained within that are human rights clauses but such clauses are not there for padding. They are not there to make the agreement longer or because they are nice to have. They are there and they have meaning and that meaning must be adhered to as well.

Everyone needs to look at all levers at our disposal. I have answered previously the question in relation to the occupied territories Bill and I will share more information in relation to that with the Deputy. The way to address this issue is through, at an EU-level, the association agreement and the review of that.

The rhetoric is great-----

It is not rhetoric.

I am blue in the face acknowledging it but what we are asking for is action that is proportionate. The Taoiseach is talking about wanting the EU to use every lever available to it and that is precisely what I am asking him to do. There are actions we can take as a sovereign State, while the EU has not come round to the very obvious breach of the human rights clauses in the EU-Israel trade agreement. Months ago the Taoiseach's predecessor, Deputy Varadkar, wrote to Ursula von der Leyen seeking a review of the EU-Israel trade agreement and she did not even reply to the letter. She is someone who gave Israel her unqualified support for its war crimes and yet the Taoiseach is happy to recommend the re-election of this person as the European Commission President. Does he really think that Fine Gael MEPs and candidates in the European election are representing their voters on this issue?

When international institutions fail, it is up to independent states to take a stronger stance. The Taoiseach said that his Government cannot introduce the occupied territories Bill because of legal advice which he promised to show us last week but which we have not seen yet. What of the Illegal Israeli Settlements Divestment Bill? What of the diplomatic status of the Israeli ambassador? What about all of these levers that are available to the Taoiseach? He is calling the EU out and saying that it is not using the levers available to it but what is he going to do about the things that are available to him now?

I am not calling the EU out. We are part of the EU. We joined it, are members of it and are around the table. What I am doing every single day with colleagues across Government, including the Tánaiste, is working at a European level to help bring about the actions that need to happen. Europe has not covered itself in glory in relation to this humanitarian catastrophe. I am very clear in relation to that. Mistakes have been made. Condemnation is not enough. There needs to be clear action. It has been the position of this country and one other member state, Spain, since the month of March, that the association agreement should be reviewed. We saw yesterday that there is now growing support for that position.

These things do not happen by accident. They happen through the diplomatic and political efforts of this country and we will keep that up. We intend to continue to engage. We are taking practical actions every day whether it is delivering humanitarian aid, whether it is engaging with Palestinian counterparts, whether it is talking to people in the region, whether it is the Tánaiste attending the meeting of Arab and EU states yesterday or whether it is working with Norway and Spain to recognise the State of Palestine.

I do not believe in expelling ambassadors because I believe you keep the lines open even with countries you vehemently disagree with. However, I take grave offence at how our ambassador was treated in Tel Aviv. It is not right to parade ambassadors in front of television cameras and video them while they watch horrific films. We would never do that to an ambassador in this country.