Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour) | Oireachtas source

We must deal with what we know. I would like to make it clear that non-conventional weapons should not be used at all. We do not have evidence that they were used, but we do have evidence of the considerable damage and deaths caused by the use of conventional weapons. Ireland was in direct contact with the Israeli authorities throughout the crisis, both through the ambassador here and through our embassy in Tel Aviv. We repeated our concerns about civilian casualties and the need to avoid further escalation, particularly through the possible launch of a ground campaign. We acknowledged, as was appropriate and as we had always done, Israel's right to protect itself and its citizens from attack, but we emphasised that this right was not a blank cheque. Any action taken must be proportionate and clearly distinguish between military targets and civilian facilities. During the recent crisis I made a number of public statements on this issue. We are also in regular contact with the UN agencies on the ground, particularly UNRWA. I met officials of UNRWA and other humanitarian agencies last January when I visited Gaza and commended them for their excellent work in challenging circumstances. I also met the director general of UNRWA, Mr. Filippo Grandi, when he visited Ireland last November. We have a very good donor relationship with UNRWA and discussed the situation on the ground.

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