Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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135. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has engaged with his European counterparts to discuss increases in violence in Palestine. [57760/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I remain concerned by increasing violence in the occupied Palestinian territory. The impact on children is particularly disturbing.

Ireland has engaged actively on this issue, including in the context of our tenure on the UN Security Council. At the most recent Security Council meeting on the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, on 28 October, Ireland expressed serious concern regarding excessive use of force by the Israeli security forces, calling for accountability in respect of all civilian deaths. Ireland also raised the sharp increase in coordinated and armed settler violence in the West Bank, calling on the Israeli authorities to act urgently to ensure that Palestinians in the West Bank are able to go about their daily lives without fear of violence and intimidation.

I have had regular engagement with my European counterparts, as well as with the European Union institutions, in relation to these issues. In addition to ongoing bilateral contacts, I regularly discuss these matters with European partners in the context of multilateral fora, including the EU and the UN. On 3 October, the EU expressed concern regarding the increasingly high number of civilian casualties within the context of the EU-Israel association council, noting that the use of force by the Israeli security forces must be proportionate and in line with international humanitarian law.

Furthermore, Irish officials are in continuous dialogue with our European partners on these matters, including at the UN Security Council and via our Permanent Representation to the EU in Brussels.