Mary Moran (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I join with my colleagues in wishing the Minister, Deputy Charles Flanagan, the best of luck in his new position and welcome the opportunity for this debate. As others have said, it is good to see the power of the Seanad when we stand together and to see a united House on one fact, namely, that we are all against crime, killing and the unnecessary suffering in Gaza at the moment.

The situation in Gaza is appalling. More than 1,300 Palestinians have been killed over the past three weeks, the vast majority of whom were civilians, while 65 Israelis have been killed, 62 of whom were soldiers. That sums up the disparity between the two sides. In saying that, all killing on both sides is dreadful.

The pictures we have seen on our screens and in social media in the past three weeks have, frankly, made me sick. I believe this view is shared by my colleagues, judging by the strength of the comments they have made today and in other interviews they have given. Innocent children were killed while they were sleeping. Homes and schools have been destroyed. I have spoken previously about the power of social media and television. Now that we can actually see what is going on, we cannot use the excuse that we do not know what is going on. After it emerged that many Jews had been killed during the Holocaust, people said they did not know what had been going on. However, we can see what is going on now. The youngest victim of the current conflict, an innocent child who was five days old, died yesterday. She had battled for survival for five days, having been born ten minutes after her 23 year old mother unfortunately died from her injuries.

I do not doubt that the crimes being perpetrated in Gaza are crimes against humanity. The shelling of the UNRWA school in recent days which resulted in the deaths of innocent sleeping children who had moved into the school on Israeli instructions was wrong on every level. It has to be considered a crime against humanity and a war crime. The firing of rockets by Hamas into Israel is also wrong. As I said, we need to look at what is happening on both sides. Israel is in a much stronger position. As I have said, there is no parity between the two. Israel has the power to render many of the rockets ineffective and there have been very few casualties on the Israeli side.

What can we achieve on foot of the reconvening of the House? How can we encourage both sides to stop this dreadful conflict? I suggest we call for the approval of an immediate ceasefire, monitored by the United Nations. As Senator Feargal Quinn said, we should look at the similarity between this conflict and that in Northern Ireland. Those of us who lived near the Border when we were growing up witnessed certain things and were afraid of what might happen, even though we had a sanctuary on this side of the Border. Every time one went to the North, one was afraid one might be caught up in some of the violence there. This is violence on a much greater scale. If someone had said 20 years ago that this country would be in the situation we are now in which has resulted from external communication and conversation, we might not have believed it. The key is to get others to sit down and speak. If we look at this, I hope we can have some influence. That is why it is important for us today to call for a ceasefire.

Israel, like every country in the world, has the right to defend itself. However, this right does not negate the rights of others. I am pleased to have had the opportunity to debate this issue today. We need to send a message that all violence is to be condemned. We must call for an immediate ceasefire. By convening today, we have shown that we are willing to stand up and be counted. I agree that we must look at enforcing sanctions, as people have to be held accountable. We cannot stand by, sympathise and do nothing. There has been too much of this; it is time to take action.