Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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99. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he is aware that new data from Medical Aid for Palestinians show that 17 hospitals, 56 primary health care facilities and 45 ambulances were damaged or destroyed during Israel's attack on Gaza in July 2014, that the total cost of the conflict to Gaza's health care system is estimated at $50 million, and that 511 Palestinians died after their ambulances were obstructed; and if he will raise the issue with his Israeli counterpart. [28358/15]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I am aware of the report produced by Medical Aid for Palestine and other NGOs. This troubling report essentially confirms the view which I and many others expressed in the Dáil during the conflict last year, which was that both the scale and nature of the military action, and the high level of civilian casualties, inevitably led to the conclusion that the principles of distinction and proportionality were not being adequately respected, which they must be if the action is lawful. These views were very clearly conveyed to the Israeli authorities at the time, as reported to the House. There was of course no channel for making similar criticisms directly to Hamas and other groups on the Gaza side.

The cases and evidence contained in the report were submitted earlier by the three NGOs to the Commission of Inquiry set up by the UN Human Rights Council last year to investigate these and other aspects of the conflict. The Commission produced its report to the Human Rights Council on 22 June last. In debate in the HRC, Ireland welcomed the report, commended the Commission on what we saw as a careful and balanced assessment, and stated that we broadly agreed with its conclusions.

On 3 July, a draft resolution tabled by the Palestinian delegation, welcoming and following up on the Commission's report, was adopted by the Human Rights Council. Ireland and the other EU Member States who are members of the Human Rights Council voted in favour of it. In the course of these discussions at the HRC, Ireland's views on the conflict and the Commission report were again conveyed to both the Israeli and Palestinian authorities, at the HRC in Geneva and in capitals.