Council back Occupied Territories Bill
The motion was passed unanimously.
Waterford City and County Council have unanimously approved a motion to pass the Occupied Territories Bill.
Councillors Thomas Phelan, Joe O'Riordan, Seamus Ryan and John Pratt presented the motion at the November meeting of the Plenary Council in Dungarvan.
The Bill, if enacted, will result in a complete ban on the import of goods and services produced in illegal settlements, including from Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Supporters of the Bill were present in the Civic Offices, including Senator Frances Black, who has been a strong advocate for its implementation.
Cllr Phelan thanked the Senator, telling the Plenary Meeting: "Senator Frances Black has done so much to push recognition on this issue and need for passage of the Occupied Territories Bill."
He said: "I think we've all seen every day the unspeakable horrors of war that are happening in Palestine.
"I think a very strong message needs to go out from a country like Ireland to say that this has to stop and the Occupied Territory Bill is an extremely strong signal in that regard."
Cllr O'Riordan said: "In July 2024, the International Court of Justice declared the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, including Gaza, West Bank and East Jerusalem, as unlawful and ordered it to be disbanded unconditionally and as soon as possible with a deadline of September 2025."
He continued: "For 400 days now Israel has been pounding Gaza. Israel has deliberately targeted civilian infrastructure, including schools, cultural sites and hospitals. 100% of universities have been destroyed and the healthcare system has been decimated.
"UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese has stated that genocide is ongoing in Gaza. International humanitarian law states that civilians can never be targeted, and view this as a war crime. The official figures of those dead in Gaza, that's 43,391, which should not include an estimated 10,000 buried under rubble."
Cllr O'Riordan spoke on the ever-growing number of child casualties, with medical professionals coining a special term. He said: "Doctors have developed an acronym unique to Gaza: WCNSF. It stands for Wounded Child No Surviving Family. This term was developed as a result of the significant number of children arriving at hospitals alone."
The Plenary Council were unanimous in supporting the Bill, with many councillors taking the opportunity to voice their support and their condemnation of the human rights abuses taking place not only in Gaza, but in wider Palestine and Lebanon.
