Ireland should refer Israel to the International Criminal Court, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has told party members.
Speaking at the Sinn Féin Ard Fheis in Athlone, she attacked the EU's policy on the conflict in Gaza and said: "when the European Commission gives carte blanche to Israel to massacre Palestinians, we say, no, never. They do not speak for us."
She added: "The world sees Israeli actions for what they are. Barbaric. Hateful. Cowardly. War crimes."
On a number of occasions during today's event the party distanced itself from European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen who controversially backed Israel in the immediate wake of the October 7 Hamas attack.
Ms McDonald's speech followed an earlier address from the Palestinian ambassador Dr Jilan Abdalmajid who thanked the audience "for being so vocal on the side of justice" to rapturous applause.
The party has also called for the Israeli ambassador to Ireland Dana Erlich to be expelled ahead of a Dáil vote on the issue next week.
On housing, Ms McDonald told delegates that the party, if elected to office, will introduce a three-year ban on rent increases.
She said she would cut rents and give a month's rent back to every tenant.
Ms McDonald promised to bring thousands of vacant homes back into use and harness new technologies for housing construction.
"The stark choice at the next election is between a worsening housing crisis under this government or a new government, led by Sinn Féin that will fix housing, once and for all," she said.
Read more: Gaza conflict dominates Sinn Féin Ard Fheis
On health, the Sinn Féin leader attacked the Coalition over its controversial decision regarding funding to the HSE in the Budget.
She said the €1.3bn hole left in the allocation to health has led to a recruitment freeze while offers of employment have been withdrawn.
"Not even in the darkest days of the Troika was such an action taken," Ms McDonald added.
She said Sinn Féin, if elected, would "invest in more beds, more frontline staff, to increase capacity in diagnostics and surgical theatre space, so that no child is left to wait and wait in agony for the spinal procedure".
In relation to climate action, Ms McDonald attacked the Government's national retrofitting programme and said it did not have "a hope" of achieving its aims.
She singled out the "ecological catastrophe on Lough Neagh" in Northern Ireland which has been severely affected by agricultural pollution and sewage and "urgently requires a response based on public ownership".
She highlighted the importance of energy independence and said "off-shore wind, solar, and green hydrogen will spearhead Ireland's energy revolution".
On the question of a united Ireland, Ms McDonald called for the Government to hold a Citizen's Assembly on the issue.
"The day is coming when everyone on this island will have their say in referendums," she added.
"Irish unity is the very best opportunity for the future."
This morning she was questioned about the party's TD Chris Andrews issuing legal proceedings against the Irish Times political correspondent Harry McGee.
Ms McDonald denied that the party had employed a strategy of suing the media.
She insisted: "There is no such policy in Sinn Féin."
Ms McDonald said journalists do a "very, very important job in a functioning democracy" but added "when a line is crossed, as and when something is said or published that crosses a particular line, people have the right to use the mechanisms available to them to vindicate their names".
She added: "The best outcome is where matters can be resolved directly in that channel, in my own opinion."
