Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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143. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the bombing of Gaza and the Israeli military and security operations in occupied east Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank, following the deaths of three Israeli teenagers and a young Palestinian boy. [31024/14]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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156. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has been in contact with other members of the EU Foreign Affairs Council or with Commissioner Ashton in relation to the escalating Israel-Palestine conflict; if the European Union proposes to take any specific initiative in relation to this conflict; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31610/14]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 143 and 156 together.

Following the dreadful murders of four young people in June and July, Israeli security forces detained six Israeli citizens in connection with the murder of the Palestinian youth; three of these are still in custody and are expected to be charged shortly. Israel stated that a Hamas unit in Hebron had abducted and murdered the three Israeli youths, and arrested large numbers of Hamas operatives in the West Bank, both before and after the youths were found to have been killed. Israeli military forces also struck a number of Hamas targets in Gaza.

This situation has quickly escalated, and the current large scale violence around Gaza, while originating in these incidents, has taken on a terrible life of its own. An estimated 800 rockets have been fired from Gaza at Israeli cities, including Tel Aviv and West Jerusalem, and at the nuclear reactor at Dimona. Israel in response has carried out some 1300 air strikes on Gaza. While these are stated to be aimed at missile launchers and other targets associated with Hamas and other militant groups, as is always the case the resultant casualties, now estimated at approximately 190 dead in Gaza, include large numbers of civilians.

Israel has stated that it seeks what it calls "quiet for quiet", that is, a resumption of the truce which has largely held since November 2012. The attitude of Hamas is less clear, but it seems uninterested for the moment in a ceasefire. It may be that, have been weakened in a number of ways in recent months, it is seeking to reassert its standing in a military confrontation with Israel. It is however the ordinary people, especially of Gaza but also of Israel, who suffer the cost of these events.

Our position is clear. This violence – in both directions – is not acceptable. Since taking office I have repeated the clear call of my predecessor for an end to firing by both sides, and a restoration of the truce. All Israelis, and all Palestinians, have the right to live in peace and security without this constant threat of violence. I welcome the proposal by the Government of Egypt providing for an early ceasefire to come into effect, and note the statement by Israel that it would accept this proposal. I very much hope this initiative will succeed.

High Representative Ashton has made similar calls on behalf of the EU, as have many of my EU colleagues. Foreign Minister Steinmeier of Germany and Foreign Minister Mogherini of Italy are due to visit the region in the coming days for discussions with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. It is expected that the situation will be considered by EU Heads of State and Government at their meeting on Wednesday 16 July. The Foreign Affairs Council on 22 July was already scheduled to discuss the Middle East Peace Process and will certainly now consider this upsurge in violence. This represents yet another cost of these events – a discussion which is intended to focus on the longer term political imperatives may now instead be dominated, as so often in the past, by the latest outbreak of cyclical and essentially futile violence.