Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 and 36 together.

I have been deeply concerned by the worrying rise in violent exchanges across the Gaza border in recent weeks and made this clear in a statement which I issued on 12 March. These exchanges have included not only Israeli air strikes against Gaza, in which 24 people are believed to have been killed, including five civilians, but also continuing and completely unjustifiable indiscriminate rocket and mortar attacks by militants against civilian targets in Israel. A measure of calm has returned following the conclusion of an Egyptian mediated cease-fire on 13 March but these events greatly inflame tensions and negatively impact the prospects for the resumption of substantive meaningful peace talks.

Since the conclusion of the Gaza conflict in January 2009, the use of military force between Gaza and Israel, in both directions, has considerably abated. Hamas has broadly refrained from rocket or mortar attacks into Israel, and has acted with some degree of success to restrict such attacks by other militant groups in Gaza.

The most recent attacks were carried out by militant Islamic groups in response to the targeted assassination of the militant, Zuhair al-Qaissi. Again, I condemn the utterly indiscriminate firing of rockets from Gaza into Israel and the resulting terror inflicted on the population of southern Israel. However, although I recognise that Israel has to take steps to prevent terrorist attacks against its civilian population, I do not believe the practice of targeted assassinations is justified or strengthens Israel's security. Nor can I condone the disproportionate use of military force by Israel in response to such events which results in large-scale civilian casualties.

I deplore and condemn all attacks against civilians. Both Israelis and Palestinians are entitled to live free of the fear of attack.

See this speech in context