Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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119. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he discussed the killing of 200 Palestinians by the Israeli Defence Forces since the beginning of the great march for return in March 2018 with his counterparts in Europe; if he will meet with the Israeli Ambassador for urgent discussions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47967/18]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I, and my Department, have been monitoring the increase in violence in Gaza over the past number of months with great anxiety. These events that have led to the deaths of hundreds of civilians, and the wounding of very many more, were senseless and avoidable.

I have given a high priority to the Middle East conflict since I assumed office, and discuss it regularly with my European colleagues, as well as with my Israeli and Palestinian counterparts during my visits to the region. Following the horrific events of 14 May 2018 in Gaza, I summoned the Israeli Ambassador to Iveagh House to convey the Government’s view that the actions by Israeli security forces were unjustified and unacceptable. I made clear, as I have done publicly, that Israel’s right to defend itself did not justify these actions.

I also raised Gaza with my EU counterparts, at the Foreign Affairs Council in May. I stressed the need to find practical ways to begin to ease the situation there, and to provide hope for an end to the cycle of recurring violence. Once again, we reiterated out commitment to reviving the political process, along the lines of the two- state solution.

Subsequently, Ireland and other states requested the calling of a Special Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva to discuss these events. At that session, Ireland co-sponsored a motion in which the Human Rights Council set up a commission of inquiry into what happened. Ireland also supported a resolution at the UN General Assembly in New York which called for examination of means of protecting Palestinian civilians.

Ireland has worked consistently, particularly at EU and UN level, to encourage international attention to focus on the long running and worsening problems in Gaza, and the need to end the restrictions imposed by Israel which have a debilitating effect on the population, as well as the need to end rocket fire, shootings, and other violence in both directions.

I have met the new Israeli Ambassador and raised with him my increasing concerns about the effects of the ongoing occupation of Palestine. I will continue to raise my concerns at every appropriate opportunity.

I have replied separately to other Questions today about the exchange of fire across the Gaza border, which took place in the last week.