Teachers’ union demands immediate ceasefire in Palestine

At the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) annual Congress today, members condemned the catastrophic loss of life, the mass displacement of innocent civilians and the ongoing destruction of infrastructure, including schools and hospitals in Gaza and the West Bank.

Supporting a motion expressing solidarity with the people of Palestine, delegates repeated calls for an immediate and full ceasefire to enable the flow of international humanitarian aid to the area. The motion also condemned the October 7 Hamas attack on Israeli civilians.

Delegates acknowledged that following the implementation of a ceasefire in the region, Palestinian education infrastructure will require substantial investment in order to be able to provide children with access to education. In that regard, they instructed the union’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) to continue campaigning and raising these issues with government.

Members have called for EU funding to be made available for rebuilding efforts and for any necessary new infrastructure that would be needed. Members also backed calls for a major Conference on the Rights of Palestinian Children to take place at the end of 2024/early 2025, with the support of Trade Union Friends of Palestine (TUFP), other Irish trade unions and civil society groups.

The INTO remains committed to peace in the region and will continue to work with European trade unions to call on the EU and European countries to sanction Israel and to suspend and review all current bilateral treaties considering the grave violations of human rights that continue to be uncovered every day.