James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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45. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has been in contact with the European Convention on Human Rights regarding the conflict between Gaza and Israel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31877/14]

James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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46. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the representations that he has made to the Israeli Government regarding the killings in Gaza; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31878/14]

James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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47. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the representations that he has made to the embassy/consulate network within the EU regarding the killings in Gaza; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31879/14]

James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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48. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the action that he will take to help avert the war crisis escalating between Israel and Gaza; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31880/14]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 45 to 48, inclusive, together.

I refer to my reply to Question 158 (31024/14) on the same subject yesterday, which was as follows:

“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. “

Further to that reply, my predecessor spoke directly to the Israeli and Palestinian Ambassadors on Thursday last, 10 July, and asked them to convey urgently to their authorities our great concerns about the situation and our call for urgent restraint and de-escalation of the crisis, full respect for international humanitarian law and a restoration of the ceasefire.

I was very encouraged by the proposal of the Government of Egypt for a ceasefire to come into effect yesterday, and by the acceptance of this proposal by Israel, which then halted its military operations for a number of hours. Regrettably, missile attacks from Gaza into Israel did not cease, and attacks in both directions are now continuing. There is no indication as yet that Hamas are disposed to accept a ceasefire. I nonetheless hope that the Egyptian Government will persevere, and that it will be possible to achieve a ceasefire very soon.

The European Convention on Human Rights applies only to Council of Europe member states.