Timmy Dooley (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I also welcome the Tánaiste. I thank him for his careful and knowledgeable stewardship of this issue over recent days.

I, too, express my absolute revulsion at the actions of Hamas in the first instance. We have to call it out for what it is: Hamas is a terrorist organisation.There should be no equivocation. There is no equivalence between Hamas on the one hand and the State of Israel on the other. We have got to be very clear about that, and unambiguous. By the same token, it is clear that Hamas has little or no regard for the Palestinian people in the way it goes about its business.

That is not to say, though, that Israel does not have a right to protect its borders and its people but, from a very early age, I was taught with every right comes a responsibility. There is a responsibility on Israel to prosecute this particular action in a manner that respects international law and the rules of engagement of war. We need to see a thoroughly investigated independent review of the bombing of that hospital. Many people rushed to judgment on that. Thankfully, the Tánaiste did not and the Government has not. I note some international media organisations in the last number of hours are in reverse-ferret mode in an effort to move back from what they originally decided. Whoever is responsible for that, and if it ultimately is Israel, in my view that is a war crime and those responsible will have to stand before the international courts and answer for that, and there can be no equivocation there either because that is where its responsibility as a state must come to this.

We have to come to a point where there is meaningful engagement. The Tánaiste has continued, and international media kind of scoffed when he was there recently to suggest he is still talking about the two-state solution and there is not much chance of that happening. That is the only way that we will see a long-term resolution and we have got to ensure that.

In the immediate term, though, we have to open up the aid corridors. We have got to get food, water, electricity and fuel supplies into the Gaza Strip. I am sorry I do not have more time.