Today marks one year since Hamas killed and captured hundreds of innocent Israeli citizens, and one year of unrelenting violence and mass civilian murder by the Israeli state in Gaza. One year on, the prospect of peace seems further than ever.

The Young Greens oppose and condemn any and all violence against civilians, Israeli, Palestinian, Lebanese, or any other nationality.

The sheer scale of devastation and destruction that Israel has unleashed over the past year in Gaza must be acknowledged and utterly condemned. The actions of the Israeli state are in direct violation of international law, and constitute acts of genocide. The expansion of the conflict into Lebanon also poses an unacceptable risk to civilians, and indeed to the Irish peacekeepers stationed there.

We have heard the calls for peace by all countries on the international stage, but these calls are meaningless without action.

Countries cannot claim to advocate for peace while continuing to provide weaponry that is deployed against innocent civilians.

We call for an immediate cessation of arms trade with Israel by all countries.

We welcome the Irish government's recent recognition of Palestine, but we can and must do more, starting with the passing of the Occupied Territories Bill.

We call on the European Union to suspend the EU-Israel association agreement until Israel complies with its human rights obligations.

We call on Hamas to release all Israeli hostages.

We call on Israel to immediately cease its act of genocide, release all unjustly held Palestinian prisoners, recognise the State of Palestine, and end the decades of violence and oppression they have imposed on the people of Palestine.