Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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56. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to a report (details supplied); his views on the calls for the International Criminal Court to open a formal investigation into Israel’s actions in Palestine; and his further views on the demand for third countries to impose targeted sanctions against officials responsible for Israel’s ongoing serious human rights violations. [27899/18]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The report issued by Human Rights Watch is a careful and sober account of the violence on the Gaza border in recent months. It is largely in line with the analysis I received at the time from my Department, on which I based my public statements and my contributions in the Dáil on this awful situation. I stated clearly that the lethal force used by Israeli forces was not justified by the actions of the protestors, that many of those shot had been well away from the border fence and posing no obvious threat, including identifiable medical workers and journalists. I stated that this level of violence seemed clearly to be in breach of international law applicable to a conflict, even if one considered this a conflict situation, which itself is a contested assertion. I also said that an independent international investigation of these events was needed. All of these points are echoed in this report. The report urges Governments to support moves at the United Nations General Assembly to explore mechanisms for the protection of the Palestinian people. Ireland voted in favour of Resolution 12028 which was adopted by the General Assembly on 13 June, which included such a provision.

The report also urges Governments to support an international investigation. Ireland supported the calling of a Special Session of the UN Human Rights Council on 18 May, and co-sponsored a resolution adopted at that session which provided for the establishment of an international commission of inquiry into these events. The commission is now being established.

The report discusses the question of accountability for the use of unjustified force. This would be an issue to be considered after the commission has examined the events.

The call in the report for an investigation by the International Criminal Court is referring to broader continuing issues in the Occupied Territory. I understand that the Office of the ICC Prosecutor is already reflecting on this question.

Lisa Chambers (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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57. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the efforts being made to address the crisis in Yemen which is considered to be one of the world's worst humanitarian crises; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27997/18]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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As I have previously stated, in this House and elsewhere, I am extremely concerned about the current situation in Yemen, which is the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. Three years of war have had devastating consequences for civilians, with allegations of violations of human rights, international humanitarian law, and significant loss of life. Three quarters of the population are estimated to require some form of humanitarian assistance. I, and officials in my Department, have been monitoring the state of affairs in Yemen with growing anxiety, particularly in recent days as the military operations around the port and city of Hodeidah have escalated. According to the United Nations, a majority of humanitarian supplies and the vast majority of commercial supplies entered Yemen through Hodeidah and the nearby port of Saleef. Any interruption of this flow would lead to further suffering for civilians in Yemen. Humanitarian access is a critical issue, and I have consistently called on all parties to the conflict to ensure that the people of Yemen receive the assistance they urgently need. Commercial access is equally important, since a population of over 20 million people cannot survive on aid alone. Officials from my Department consistently relay my strong concerns on humanitarian access to the Saudi and UAE Embassies in Dublin, including most recently this month, when they specifically raised the importance of ensuring respect for international humanitarian law, and also a consistent flow of essential goods, even as military operations are ongoing in Hodeidah.

Ireland has provided €15.5 million in bilateral humanitarian assistance to Yemen since the conflict began in 2015. Of this, €4 million was contributed in March this year alone. Ireland also provides global funding to a number of organisations which are particularly active in Yemen including the World Food Programme, UNICEF and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

I believe that only way to bring about a long-term sustainable improvement in the situation for the Yemeni people is through a negotiated end to this conflict. Ireland fully supports the work of Martin Griffiths, the new Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General for Yemen, and his team, in particular his efforts to engage all parties to the conflict to come back to the negotiating table. I hope that peace negotiations can be re-launched soon. On Monday, the UN Special Envoy, who is working intensively in the region, spoke with the Foreign Affairs Council via video link, to brief us on his efforts. My EU colleagues and I are committed to supporting his work, we were happy to hear from him to discuss how best we can do that.

Ireland has also worked in the UN system to raise our grave concerns about human rights in Yemen. At the Human Rights Council in September 2017, Ireland was part of a small core group of countries that drove forward the adoption by consensus of a Resolution on Yemen. The resolution established a group of international experts to examine the facts in relation to violations of human rights and humanitarian law on the ground.

I would like to assure the Deputy that Ireland will continue to take every appropriate opportunity to urge stronger international action, and will press for a negotiated settlement to the conflict in Yemen, as well as respect for human rights and international humanitarian law, and improved humanitarian access.