Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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There is growing outrage across the world at the escalating death toll in Gaza. Gaza, with a population of about 1.8 million Palestinians, is essentially an open air prison. It is a community of people who are dispossessed, moved away from their homeland for decades. They have had to endure that profound injustice but, once again, they are under onslaught. Over 200 people have been killed in recent days, over 80% of whom were civilian women and children. All of us have seen the horrific images coming in every day and almost every hour. I could tell the Minister many stories but the worst has to be the entire family of the Gaza police chief, 19 people, wiped out.

This is another onslaught by the Israeli state that appears to go unchallenged. I want to know what the Minister, as Minister for Foreign Affairs, and our Government have done to challenge the Israeli state on its repeated onslaught against the Palestinian people. It is deeply regrettable that rockets are being fired in the other direction but we should be sensible about that. Israel has one of the biggest armies in the world. It has a navy, an air force, nuclear weapons and missile defence systems. It is on a different scale from those in Hamas and other groups who have been launching rockets made within their own territories. This is not a real conflict. It is a genocide against a people.

What will the Minister do about this issue? Will he call in the Israeli ambassador and represent the view of the Irish people once and for all that this rogue state, which is engaged in repeated acts of terrorism, should be confronted once and for all?

Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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I too stand in solidarity with the peoples of Palestine and Gaza and express a public condemnation of the ferocious and unwarranted massacre being perpetrated against those people by the Israeli state. I echo the points made by Deputy Mac Lochlainn. The world is looking on in horror and is shocked at the under-represented voice of the Palestinian people.

I condemn in some sense the coverage by our national broadcaster, which has tried to portray this conflict as a fight among equals or some sort of civil war when it is genocide. It is like the world heavyweight championship boxer taking on a newborn baby. That is the parallel in terms of the forces at play here. There has been 1,500 attacks on Gaza in the past ten days, 1,500 tonnes of explosives with the majority of casualties being among civilians but we must step back from that. This is not a recent phenomenon, despite the recent escalation. The reality is that the Israeli offensive has been ongoing for some considerable time with the detention of Palestinians at an unacceptable level and an intrusion in their daily lives.

A week or two ago, we had the privilege of meeting here a former member of the Israeli Defence Forces and member of Breaking the Silence who saw, from his own experiences inside the Israeli army, the propaganda that is taught to the Israeli people about the role of the Israeli army. He was quite clear, as indeed that exhibition was, that the Israeli army is an army of occupation and that it is nothing to do with defence. It is an assault on people's living standards.

I want to know why the State has been so silent. I want an absolute condemnation from the Government of what is going on and a demand for the massacre and bombardment to cease. I want a condemnation of Obama, Hollande and Cameron who have stood shoulder to shoulder with the Israeli state. It is small wonder when they pump in billions of euro, a majority of which is given back to their own arms industry. I want the Minister to let us know what he will do about that and illegal Israeli settlements on the ground in Gaza and Palestine.

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputies for raising this important issue. The current large-scale violence in and around Gaza was sparked by the dreadful murders of four young people in June and July, but quickly escalated, and has taken on a terrible life of its own. An estimated 1,260 rockets have been fired from Gaza at Israeli cities, including Tel Aviv and west Jerusalem, and at the nuclear reactor at Dimona. Israel, in response, has carried out some 1,750 air strikes on Gaza. These are stated to be aimed at missile launchers and other targets associated with Hamas and other militant groups. However, as is always the case, it seems the resultant casualties, now estimated at approximately 205 dead in Gaza, include large numbers of civilians.

Israel has stated that it seeks what it describes as "quiet for quiet", that is, a resumption of the truce which has largely held since November 2012. The attitude of Hamas is less clear, but its military wing seems uninterested for the moment in any form of ceasefire. It may be that, having been weakened in a number of ways in recent months, it is seeking to reassert its standing in a military confrontation with Israel.

It is, however, civilians - women, children and men - especially of Gaza but also of Israel, who suffer the cost of these events. We have all seen with horror the reports of civilians killed, residents evacuating their homes and civilians running for shelters. I share entirely the views expressed by Deputies Wallace, Clare Daly and Mac Lochlainn, and by many members of the public, that this is utterly unacceptable.

Our position is clear. This violence, and its cost to civilians, is not acceptable. On taking office I issued a statement on Monday calling for an end to firing by both sides and a restoration of the truce. All Israelis and all Palestinians have the right to live in peace and security without a constant threat of violence. My predecessor, who also made a similar statement on behalf of the Government last week, spoke directly to the Israeli and Palestinian ambassadors on Thursday last, and asked them to convey urgently to their authorities our considerable concerns about the situation and our call for restraint, an urgent de-escalation of the crisis, full respect for international humanitarian law and a restoration of the ceasefire. I am glad of the opportunity of this debate to restate the position of the Government quite clearly.

I was encouraged by the proposal on the part of the Egyptian Government for a ceasefire to come into effect yesterday, and by the acceptance of this proposal by Israel, which then halted its military operations for a number of hours. Regrettably, missile attacks from Gaza into Israel did not cease, and attacks in both directions are now continuing. There is no indication yet that Hamas is disposed to accept a ceasefire. I hope, none the less, that the Egyptian Government will persevere and that it will be possible to achieve a ceasefire soon.

The High Representative, Baroness Catherine Ashton, has made similar calls on behalf of the European Union, as have many of my EU colleagues. The EU Heads of State and Government, at their meeting today, are expected to issue a statement restating those calls. The Foreign Affairs Council next week, which I will attend, will also address the crisis in Gaza and will hopefully have an opportunity to consider the longer-term implications for the peace process of recent developments on the ground and an appropriate EU response.

We are, of necessity, focused on achieving an end to the current wave of attacks, but the Government has consistently stressed that until the continuing blockade of Gaza is brought to an end, these cycles of violence are always going to recur. This is a matter to which we will return. I thank the Deputies for raising this issue. I am keeping a close eye on the situation. I regard what is happening as utterly unacceptable.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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The Minister will be aware that a few years ago the European Union, in an important report, heavily condemned Israel for the continued settlements in the West Bank. Essentially, the 1.8 million Palestinians living in Gaza are in an open-air prison. The Palestinian people in the West Bank are occupied. There are between 1 million and 2 million Palestinian refugees based in Lebanon, Syria and Jordan, dispossessed from their homes. This is the profound injustice.

Israel has ignored repeated Security Council resolutions over the years. Only the veto of the United States protects it. When will the international community say that this is a nonsense about a war between Israel and Hamas? This is an utter nonsense. This is no war. This is no fair fight. This is an oppressive bully that has held millions of Palestinians as hostages for all of these decades and that repeatedly is not confronted about its actions.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputy Mac Lochlainn.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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Because it is not confronted, Israel feels it can do again what it has done before - bombard entire packed residential areas with rockets coming from naval vessels, tanks and bases throughout Israel.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputy Mac Lochlainn.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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This is an affront to international humanity and democracy. We need to call it what it is and call in the Israeli ambassador and state that the Irish people deplore the actions of his state in defiance of the international community, deplore the oppression that his state continually puts upon the Palestinian people and demand that Israel engages in talks with the Palestinian representatives, that is, Fatah and Hamas, which democratically represent their people, and, once and for all, to respect international opinion.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputy Mac Lochlainn.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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When that happens, we will have justice for the Palestinian people.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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Go raibh maith agat. I have to call-----

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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I am glad the Minister stated at the end-----

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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Sorry, Deputy-----

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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-----that the blockade of Gaza is the issue here because those people are desperate and have no hope, and what can one do but fight back in those circumstances.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputy Mac Lochlainn.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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It is tragic, it is unfortunate, but what can they do.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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I am sorry. I must call Deputy Clare Daly.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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Will the Minister and his European colleagues stand up to Israel, confront this historical injustice and defend the rights of the Palestinian people for once and for all?

Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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I too wish the Minister well in his new post but his response has been wholly inadequate in the context of the unfolding crisis in Gaza. The idea that the rockets that have been launched could justify what the Minister deemed to be Israel’s response is well short of the mark. We need to be clear about this. What is being fired from Gaza is well off the mark, not hitting home and low-key compared to the firepower coming across from the other side. The evidence of that is in the body count. There is nothing on the Israeli side while there is a massive civilian loss on the side of the Palestinian people.

The point we are trying to make is that Ireland is a neutral country in the EU. The majority of EU countries bend the knee in slavish adherence to the United States and its colleagues in Israel for their own economic interests. We can be a beacon against that and be the voice of reasoned citizens across Europe declaring this should not continue. We need to do much more.

I agree with the point about the Israeli ambassador but we need to lead the way with an economic embargo of the settlements and the undermining of all illegal Israeli activity which is behind much of the present conflict.

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I recognise that causalities are overwhelmingly on the Palestinian side. I agree with Deputy Mac Lochlainn that it is not credible or possible, however, to address this issue as if only one side were engaged in attacks, something some others have suggested this afternoon. We recognise, as we must, that firing is going on in both directions and that both sides need to stop.

Having spoken directly with the Egyptian foreign Minister over the weekend, I was pleased his initial proposal elicited a positive response from the Israeli Government and there was, for a time yesterday, in effect a ceasefire on the part of the Israelis. Unfortunately, however, this was rebuffed by Hamas.

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I am anxious to assure the House, in particular the Deputies who raised this matter, that I will be happy to convey their views directly to the Israeli ambassador. I am most anxious that diplomatic efforts continue to bring about a ceasefire. I will be attending the Foreign Affairs Council early next week where I will be happy to convey the views of the Government and the House to the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton. I hope those who are suffering on both sides will find some solace from a ceasefire.

In spite of the terror and fighting, the border crossings into Gaza from Israel have remained open. There are deliveries of food and fuel into Gaza while electricity continues to be supplied from Israel, although, as Deputy Mac Lochlainn will be aware, two of the power lines have been cut by missiles from Gaza. This has added to the difficult situation.

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I assure the House that the Government is not silent on this matter but will be even-handed and is most anxious to bring about a ceasefire to this dreadful situation.