A PETITION calling on the Irish Government to take action over the situation in Palestine has been delivered to the Dáil.
Organised by the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC), the appeal received almost 11,000 signatures following its launch last Friday.
The petition was supported by Independent TD Thomas Pringle and Brid Smith of People Before Profit, who were present as the document was handed in to the Dáil on Wednesday afternoon.
'Time for Ireland to comply'
The petition calls on Ireland to invoke the Genocide Convention to 'bring an immediate end to Israel's unconscionable onslaught against the Palestinian people'.
The aforementioned international treaty obliges states to take measures to prevent and punish genocide, including enacting relevant legislation and punishing perpetrators.
Adopted by the United Nations in 1948, it also sets out a definition of genocide, which the IPSC petition claims there is evidence of in Israel's conflict with Hamas.
"Genocide studies scholars, UN human rights experts and international lawyers across the world have advised that there is clear evidence of genocide being committed against Palestinians," the petition reads.
The petition gathered almost 11,000 signatures (Image: Sam Boal / RollingNews.ie"Ireland is a party to the Genocide Convention, which imposes a legal obligation upon states to prevent genocide and act in the event that there is a serious risk of genocide.
"It is time for Ireland to comply with this duty to prevent by imposing sanctions on Israel and calling for such sanctions to be adopted at EU level."
In a statement following the petition's submission, Donegal TD Mr Pringle expressed his support for the campaign.
"Standing in solidarity outside Leinster House, joining Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) submitting signatures to the Dáil, urging the Government to fulfil its legal duties as a state party to the Genocide Convention," he wrote.
"Demand an immediate halt to Israel's indefensible actions against the Palestinian people."
Government accused
Dublin South Central TD Ms Smith, who was present as the petition was handed over, has also accused the government of abandoning the Gazan families of Palestinian-Irish citizens.
In a statement today, Ms Smith said she had written to Tánaiste Micheál Martin and Minister for Justice Helen McEntee on at least three occasions, urging them to help affected families.
"It has come to my attention that many other countries are submitting the names and details of the families of their citizens originally from Palestine with a view to getting them out of Gaza and I want to know why Ireland is not doing the same," she said.
File photo: People Before Profit TD Brid Smith has said the Government must do more to help the Gazan families of Palestinian-Irish citizens (Image: Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews.ie)"Countries including USA, Canada, Australia, Norway, France, Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, and many others are doing all they can to get families of their frantically worried citizens out of Gaza while I've been offered links to visa application sites.
"All People Before Profit TDs have been contacted by Palestinian-Irish citizens supplying the names and details of their loved ones who they are desperate to get to safety.
"I have received absolutely nothing from the Government to give them even the slightest bit of hope that they will be helped."
She added: "We correctly responded quickly to those seeking refuge from the war in Ukraine, why aren't we doing the same for those who want to flee Gaza?"
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, more than 18,600 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza since 1,200 people were killed in a Hamas attack on Israel on October 7.
