Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It occurs to me, moving on, that there is a human dimension to this, that it is very dangerous for the region and that Israel, as Hamas intended, is making its decisions in anger. I think that was the Hamas strategy, and it seems to be working. As was said, international law and international order have to apply in how Israel conducts its business in Gaza. Does the Tánaiste see any further interventions that can be made? Many experts are beginning to say that this has the potential, if Israel goes ahead with a complete ground invasion, to become a regional conflict and, even apart from that, to be bogged down within Gaza. I ask the Tánaiste about that. The policies are being made in anger. Can anything be done at that level to talk about that?

I ask the Tánaiste about the up-to-date status of the efforts to open humanitarian corridors to get food and support in. The world wants that.

I also welcome the fact that the Tánaiste said international order and UN rules of war have to apply to all situations and must apply here. The population move is illegal on a number of fronts in that it is not only a breach of international law in itself but also not a practical option. There is already a considerable level of bombardment of the south. There is also the physical reality that there can be 50 people living together in little family homes, so it is not an option on all levels.

I was going to ask the Tánaiste about the hostages and where he thinks that is developing but he has referred to that.

It is a horrific conflict in that I think the latest figures show that something in the region of 4,200 are dead, and there is the potential for many more.

As regards Ukraine, is the Tánaiste concerned about the international shift of focus now and the risk of the Ukrainian people being lost in that?

I ask him specifically about an issue that has come up a lot on the Council of Europe, where I have the privilege of being one of the Irish delegates, namely, the children who have been abducted from Ukraine into Russia. What specific actions are being taken in that regard, and what does the Tánaiste see?

In summary, I welcome the commitment of our Government, through the Tánaiste, to the rules-based international order as opposed to war crimes and breaches of international law, which cannot be condoned. I welcome also the condemnation of wrong actions on both sides. There is a simple phrase we all heard in our childhood, "two wrongs do not make a right", and there is a shocking risk now that we will have two wrongs making a bigger wrong.