Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Like Senator Quinn I wish to raise the current conflict in Gaza. I note that the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Gilmore, is concerned about the issue.

The situation is deeply serious. We flagged the fact that it was a powder keg ready to explode. There has been continuous conflict between Hamas and Israel in Gaza. One hundred people have died in the bombardment of Gaza, including women and children. Three were killed in Israel. The Dalou family were wiped out by F16 jets on Sunday evening. Jamal Dalou's wife, daughter, sons, brothers, nieces and nephews were all killed. Mr. Dalou survived but 14 were killed in one hit. Some 814 people have been wounded, including 225 children. It is time the European Union took a more active role in the peace process in the region. The United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, is there and the American Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, is en routebut I have no word of Baroness Catherine Ashton's role on behalf of the European Union. The Minister should ensure that she takes action. The European Union, Ireland included, is a major contributor to humanitarian aid in the Gaza region. The European Union is lax in its reaction in this regard.

The previous invasion of Gaza cost more than 1,000 lives, and if there is another invasion more lives will be lost. We may be a voice crying in the wilderness for a ceasefire, but there must be a peace settlement between Israel and Palestine, a two-state solution. Unless that happens, conflict will be a constant every few years, particularly in advance of the Israeli elections. We must bear in mind that most of the military hardware supplied to Israel comes through the United States of America and other Western countries.