Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It is important that we express our sympathy and regret at all the lives lost in the recent conflict. Collectively, we regret and sympathise with all the families and those who have been injured during this conflict. I do not think anyone equivocates, regardless of whether they are Palestinian, Israeli or anything else. First of all, there is no agreement between the Palestinians and the Israelis regarding the number of deaths. I do not know if the ambassador wants to comment on that. Deputy Smith spoke in terms of 2,100 people. I think one is talking about 11,000 Palestinians who have been injured. Over 500,000 have been displaced, which is approximately 30% of the population. It has been said that 13% of Gazan homes have been damaged.

The first question that people in Ireland would ask concerns the 11,000 people who have been injured. Is humanitarian aid getting through? Are the checkpoints that surround Gaza fully open? Is medical aid and other aid getting through because when the ceasefire was called, people said the checkpoints were only partially opened? That is a difficulty in itself so could the ambassador outline what is happening on the ground and what the conditions in Gaza are like? We know the power plant was bombed and that there are only something like four hours of electricity during the day. The big question that people and politicians in Ireland are asking concerns what the Irish Government and people can do. They marched in their hundreds of thousands all across the country to express their concern about what was happening. We all want to see a peace process that works.

How confident is the ambassador that Israel will stick to this latest agreement because we have had agreements in the past that have been broken? How confident is the ambassador about that agreement? What can this country do in respect of pressure from the EU? Does the ambassador believe that Israel's actions in the West Bank in the lead-up to this latest conflict and the atrocities committed in Gaza were an attempt to break up the new Palestinian unity Government? Does the ambassador believe there is a connection here? Does he believe that international pressure is important in stopping illegal settlement building? What can Ireland do in respect of this? They are simple questions but the responses are huge and complex.

What has been the response of the US Government to the latest Palestinian Government initiative? I am thinking in particular of this peace process about which the ambassador is talking. If this plan fails - we are talking about potentially setting borders for the future - will the Palestinian Authority sign the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, ICC? What can the Irish Government do to support Palestinian efforts to accede to the ICC given the diplomatic pressure on Palestine not to accede?