Jillian van Turnhout (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am not naive in thinking that our debate here today will be the difference between continuing conflict or lasting peace. However, it would be grossly negligent, particularly with respect to the worsening humanitarian crisis, for one of our Houses of Parliament not to make a definitive statement in a formal capacity as we have done on previous occasions, most recently with regard to the abduction of Nigerian schoolchildren.

I support and commend the statement made earlier by my colleague, Senator Mac Conghail. I will elaborate in my personal capacity solely to urge Israel to show much greater restraint in the exercise of its right to self-defence. The Iron Dome missile shield, which Israel fortunately has protecting its citizens from the full extent of Hamas rocket fire, affords it additional time for it to exercise a more concerted and targeted attack in eliminating rocket fire and destroying tunnels than it is currently showing.

The growing number of civilian casualties, the vast majority of whom are defenceless women and children with nowhere to go and no safe retreat, is entirely unacceptable, is in flagrant contravention of international law and must stop. Hamas must stop its bombardment of Israel. In targeting civilians, it is also committing war crimes and is putting its own people at disproportionate risk. As soon as this conflict can be stopped, we must as an international community strive towards lasting peace and an immediate and significant improvement in the ordinary everyday lives of the people in Gaza.

The Minister and fellow Senators have documented the situation surrounding the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17. I fully support UN Security Council Resolution 2166 which calls for safe, secure, full and unrestricted access to the crash site for international investigators. I welcome the fact that Ireland co-sponsored this resolution. I offer my condolences to all the families affected, particularly our Dutch colleagues, some of whom I know.

The recent report by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights paints a bleak picture of the human rights situation in eastern Ukraine. The report estimates that between mid-April and mid-July, over 1,000 people have been killed in eastern Ukraine. Yesterday, Reuters reported that on Monday evening alone, 17 people, including children, were killed in fighting in a rebel stronghold town north of Donetsk. In the city of Lukansk, officials say that five civilians were killed when shelling hit a retirement home. In a report released last Thursday, Human Rights Watch documented four instances of the use of unguided Grad rockets which killed at least 16 civilians in and around Donetsk in nine days. While both rebels and Ukrainian forces use the rockets, the investigation strongly indicates that the Ukrainian government forces were responsible for the four attacks. We know that Russian troops are still massed near the Ukrainian border keeping alive the possibility of a Kremlin-sponsored humanitarian intervention in defence of its co-ethnics. The tense situation in the east and disturbances elsewhere have stoked antagonisms of a previously unsuspected intensity lending substance to the spectre of civil war.

The reality, as I found in preparing for today, is that objective information is difficult to get hold of and assess. Trust has been replaced with hate. This escalating situation reminds me of the Balkans where we can hardly see where the enemy is or what is going on. It is clear that eastern Ukraine is on the brink of a humanitarian crisis. Rebuilding the towns will be costly and lengthy, not to mention rebuilding trust. I am not an expert but I am extremely concerned for the outlook of democracy and peace in the region which I believe can only be rebuilt by the independent investigations of both sides' conduct and the immediate cessation of hostilities. I welcome the steps that have already been taken by Ireland but surely Ireland with its experience of conflicts and resolution can play a stronger role?