Amnesty International has called on Ireland to adopt the Occupied Territories Bill, a legislative initiative that would prohibit trade with illegal Israeli settlements. During her visit to Dublin, Amnesty’s Secretary General, Agnès Callamard, praised Ireland’s principled stance on the unfolding genocide in Gaza and urged lawmakers to push the bill forward as a concrete step toward accountability.

Callamard described the proposed legislation as “a powerful and much-needed tool for achieving international justice,” saying it would set a vital precedent for other European countries. At a time when Palestinian civilians are being starved, bombarded, and forcibly displaced across Gaza and the West Bank, she insisted, “there can be no business as usual.”

Reflecting on Ireland’s own history of colonialism and famine, Callamard said the country has shown moral clarity where others have faltered. “Ireland has been a crucial counterweight to those who continue to arm Israel and excuse its atrocities,” she noted, criticising the European Union’s refusal to suspend its partnership with Israel as a “betrayal of its principles.”

Since 7 October 2023, the war on Gaza has killed or wounded over 192,000 Palestinians, left thousands missing, and displaced entire communities. Amnesty’s call on Ireland comes as global frustration grows over Western complicity and the continued erosion of international law.