Cathal Berry (Kildare South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Brady for bringing this important motion before the House. It gives us another opportunity to discuss and debate this important matter, particularly in light of the significant events of the past number of days. I welcome last week’s ceasefire and the tentative cessation of hostilities that it has brought about. While I appreciate it is early days yet, the truce, thankfully, appears to be sticking. I urge all sides to respect, protect and support that truce because it is all we have. It is the only hope we have and it is a first step towards, and indeed a precondition for, a lasting peace in the region.

My only regret is that the truce did not come soon enough for the hundreds of people who were unnecessarily killed, on both sides of this conflict, the vast majority of whom were innocent women and children. It is, however, self-evident from the casualty roll that the vast majority of casualties were on the Palestinian side. The vast majority were civilian. People were killed and seriously wounded. It disproportionately affected the Palestinian people in Gaza. As a doctor, I know that the worst way to die is unnecessarily and the events of the last few weeks only serve to confirm and emphasise that important point.

It is important that humanitarian aid is now allowed to flow freely and unimpeded into Gaza. I welcome the Minister's comments last week in which he announced additional humanitarian assistance for the region. An extra €1 million will go to UNRWA and an additional €500,000 will go to UNICEF. That funding is badly needed and I encourage all nations in the world to follow Ireland's lead in that regard. Gaza needs massive assistance as soon as possible, preferably now.

Now that the crisis phase of this tragedy has passed, we need to shift focus to the root causes of the problem. As terrible and all as the events of the past few weeks have been, we must remember that they are only the symptoms of the crisis and that the underlying cause must be tackled. The cause of the conflict is downright poverty, injustice, inequality, hopelessness and, most important and more significantly, the malign interference in the region by the great powers. Unless we tackle these root causes, the conflict will inevitably persist. We must focus on those areas.

I would like to see the European Union take on a more active role in solving this crisis. It is no longer enough to be an interested observer or to leave the problem to the great powers. As we all know, the great powers' interest in the Middle East has to do with self-interest, not with the interests of the people who live there.

I thank Deputy Brady again for bringing forward this important motion and I wish the Minister, Deputy Coveney, well with his shuttle diplomacy as he seeks to kick-start the Middle East peace process by breaking the Iranian nuclear deal impasse. I wish him the best of luck in that regard.

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