Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputies for their statements on this issue. I would like to restate the Government’s deep concern at the intensification of violence in Gaza, the West Bank and Israel over the past week. We are all in agreement that now is the time for de-escalation and we must encourage all efforts to reach a ceasefire. We cannot ignore the fact that these events are terrifying for Palestinian and Israeli civilians. The number of child casualties, over a quarter of all fatalities, is particularly shocking. The protection of all civilians is of paramount importance and, indeed, it is an obligation under international humanitarian law.

Israel has a right to defend itself. The deaths of Israeli citizens are unacceptable and the Minister, Deputy Coveney, has rightly called on all factions in Gaza to halt indiscriminate attacks on Israel immediately. However, the impact of Israeli strikes on civilians in the Gaza Strip is disproportionate, a fact to which many Deputies alluded. The impact on children in an already difficult humanitarian situation is especially worrying.

I would like to address some of the points raised regarding these civilian impacts. As Minister of State at the Department of Education, it is especially shocking to read reports of damage and destruction to schools and educational facilities. The UN reports that 45 schools, two kindergartens and a vocational training centre have been damaged in the Gaza Strip since the start of the escalation. Education, as we know, is a lifeline for the 2 million people of Gaza. It is an opportunity to escape the daily realities of the blockade which has left them forcibly isolated from the rest of the world for over 13 years.

The repeated cycles of violence and bloodshed, as well as living in fear of the next air strike, have a strong effect on the emotional and psychosocial well-being of students, teachers, and their communities. I welcome the Minister’s announcement of €500,000 for UNICEF’s emergency appeal, which will include emergency psychosocial services for 5,000 children suffering trauma as a result of the hostilities.

The damage to hospitals and the knock-on impact on the provision of healthcare in the Gaza Strip is deeply worrying. Six hospitals and 11 primary healthcare centres have been damaged, with one centre suffering severe damage. In addition, damage to vital infrastructure and insufficient fuel supplies have affected water, sanitation and hygiene services for hundreds of thousands of people. Electrical power shortages hinder healthcare provision throughout Gaza and one hospital is not functioning due to the lack of electricity.

The latest hostilities have displaced over 58,000 Palestinians, many of whom are seeking refuge in UNRWA schools across Gaza. There is, of course, the added concern at this time around the transmission of Covid-19 between vulnerable people huddled in crowded shelters and the inability of the healthcare system to cope.

As the Minister for Foreign Affairs referenced in his statement, this is why we have announced funding of €1.5 million to enable UN agencies carry out vital work in support of these vulnerable civilians.

While the focus today is rightly on the intensification of violence, we cannot, and must not, shy away from the fact that the overall human rights situation in the occupied Palestinian territories remains a matter of serious concern. The protection and promotion of human rights is an integral part of Ireland’s foreign policy and we consistently seek to raise our concerns on human rights issues through the most appropriate and effective channels.

Our active participation at the UN Human Rights Council is particularly important in that regard. Ireland is a consistent and strong contributor in interactive dialogues with the UN special rapporteur for human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories at the council and, indeed, at the UN General Assembly. At the most recent session of the Human Rights Council in March, Ireland made a statement under No. 7 during the general debate, which restated our commitment to principles of accountability and emphasised that Ireland will continue to speak out against unilateral actions that are in breach of international humanitarian law. We regularly convey our concerns on human rights issues to the Israeli authorities, both directly and through the EU. The Minister for Foreign Affairs raised these concerns with the Israeli ambassador last week. We also provide financial support to Israeli and Palestinian NGOs working on human rights issues.

The events of the past week have not happened in isolation. They come after settlement expansion, threats of evictions and violence against Palestinians. Ireland remains firmly committed to a negotiated two-state solution based on international law, relevant UN Security Council resolutions and agreed parameters.

A number of Deputies raised a few issues, one of which was the occupied territories Bill. As previously stated, the Bill would not be compatible with EU law and would not be implementable. The Government will not, therefore, take it forward. We acknowledge that support for the Bill is a sign of very deep concern about settlements. Ireland has consistently and strongly opposed settlements and will continue to so. The Government's position on settlements is that we are absolutely opposed to them.

With respect to calls to expel the Israeli ambassador, Ireland's bilateral relationship with Israel is important as it is a means for us to directly communicate our concerns about actions such as those we witnessed in the past week. On 11 May, the Minister called in the Israeli ambassador and underlined that Israel's actions in Gaza, which are causing significant civilian casualties, are unacceptable and Israel must act responsibly and comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law. These messages matter. By expelling an ambassador, we would close down our channel of communication with the Israeli Government.

Furthermore, some Deputies asked whether Ireland will recognise Palestine. As some Deputies pointed out, the programme for Government states that the Government will honour its commitment to recognise the state of Palestine as part of a lasting settlement of the conflict, or, in advance of that, when we believe doing so will progress efforts to reach a two-state solution or protect the integrity of Palestinian territory. The Minister has been clear that, in the absence of progress towards a two-state solution, he would be prepared to recommend to Government early recognition by Ireland of a state of Palestine, if and when it might be helpful. It is a matter that is also being discussed with EU colleagues. Recognition by Ireland, outside the context of an overall peace agreement would, however, be likely to affect Ireland's influence on the Israel-Palestine conflict at EU and international level.

See this speech in context