Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I thank the Chair. As the Chair stated in his introduction, the GAC covers a broad range of areas, all of which are critical. Most of us will focus on the immediate crisis in the Middle East now but I want to touch upon the very point the Chair made on the Franco-German group. I had a parliamentary question about it last week. I want to talk about migration but, first, I want to get from the Minister of State, because there was a Foreign Affairs Council meeting yesterday, the most up-to-date position in relation to a number of matters.

Most of us were very taken aback. I suppose I should say without equivocation that this committee should condemn completely and totally the savage attack on the people of Israel by Hamas. The latest count is 1,200 dead people, from infants to elderly people, and the number is growing as they find more bodies. These were people who were hunted down in their own homes in many instances, and others, by and large young people who were simply enjoying themselves, who were attacked at a music event. It was a degree of savagery we have not seen in a very long time.

The response from Israel - all of us issued statements on Sunday - has to be proportionate.

It has the right to defend itself against Hamas. There is no doubt about that and we join in solidarity and support in that objective. The evil that was perpetrated is unprecedented. However, the response must be proportionate and restrained. The cordoning off of the Gaza area, basically placing it under siege and removing the right to water, electricity and fuel, is absolutely unacceptable. There are 2.3 million people corralled into an area that is barely able to sustain them now. We are heading towards an unimaginable humanitarian crisis if the policy of siege continues and the basic means of living are deprived. I note the commentary we heard from the EU Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Commissioner Várhelyi, which I understood was immediately withdrawn because he has no legal right to unilaterally state that the European Union will withdraw humanitarian aid for Palestine. I welcome the subsequent statement of the EU High Representative Josep Borrell that the siege is contrary to international law. I am anxious to hear the Minister of State's views on these matters and on what initiatives we, as a nation and in the context of our membership of the European Union, can take now to stop what could potentially be an unimaginable human catastrophe, particularly if there is a ground invasion of Gaza. Will he also comment on the status of the Irish-Israeli citizen Kim Damti? Is there any update on her status? Are there any other Irish citizens either in Israel or Gaza who have sought consular support or assistance? If there are such persons, will the Minister of State indicate the numbers to us so that we will know how many Irish citizens are directly involved in this?

Colleagues will want to make other points about this issue but the main task for us now is to see how we can, with our history, seek to assist in bringing peace. Otherwise, there are other malevolent actors in Lebanon and Iran who may well involve themselves in an ever-enlarging war that would have catastrophic consequences not only for the people of Palestine and Israel but for the world at large. We may want to concentrate on that first. I have two other questions to ask. Will I park them at this point?