Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 March 2015
736. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he is satisfied that adequate frameworks have been put in place by the authorities in Gaza to administer the funding promised by international donors at the Gaza Reconstruction Conference, which took place in Cairo in Egypt in October 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11275/15]
View answer737. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his assessment of the security situation inside Gaza, following his visit, and in particular his views following reports on British Broadcasting Corporation News (details attached) on 26 February 2015 which interviewed members of Palestinian Islamic Jihad who claimed another war with Israel was planned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11276/15]
View answer738. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the mechanisms in place to ensure that building materials entering Gaza are not used to construct tunnels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11277/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 736 to 738, inclusive, together.
In my address to the major international conference on Gaza reconstruction held in Cairo on 12 October 2014, I said:
“The process begun in the 26 August ceasefire must continue, and both sides must work with the Egyptian mediators to address the underlying issues and find a new path in Gaza. This must mean an end to attacks from Gaza on Israel, but also an end to the unjust blockade which has endured now for seven years. This should begin with a real opening of supplies of materials needed for reconstruction, including of essential infrastructure such as water, sewage and power. Every effort must be made to ensure that humanitarian goods and personnel are guaranteed safe and unimpeded access to Gaza. But it must then continue to the end of senseless restrictions on ordinary economic and human life. The only way to reduce support for militarism among people in Gaza is to allow them to work and export their produce, to find jobs, to feel part of the wider Palestinian people and the wider world.”
During my recent visit to Gaza I saw the huge scale of the humanitarian needs there. I saw that some reconstruction has begun, but that much more is needed.
It was also clear, unfortunately, that there had been no real progress on addressing the wider issues which had underlain the previous conflict. Like many others, I have warned that without such progress, Gaza and Israel will remain trapped in a cycle of uneasy truces punctuated by recurring, increasingly violent but ultimately inconclusive conflicts. Sadly, the BBC report referred to by the Deputy confirmed that warning, reporting the views of figures on both sides who saw renewed conflict as inevitable and were planning for such an eventuality.
It is difficult for us to assess security in Gaza. I did not of course meet there with any officials from Hamas or other militant groups. The general view is that the ability of Hamas to control the actions of smaller and more militant groups such as Islamic Jihad may be weakening, and that this may affect the stability both of the current truce with Israel and the situation inside Gaza itself.
The supply of construction materials into Gaza is controlled by the Israeli security forces, under agreements between Israel and relevant agencies such as UNRWA and the Red Cross. This has allowed some repair and reconstruction to begin, but the quantities allowed need to be significantly increased. I have discussed this issue with representatives of the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross, and others. There are divergent views about the degree to which materials are being diverted for the building of tunnels. While it is not possible to police the end use of every bag of cement, there has been no evidence put forward of any significant diversion of these materials.
The construction of tunnels and military works by groups in Gaza is indeed a problem. It impacts upon Israeli communities living near Gaza; I met such a community when I visited. However, it is worth noting that tunnel construction has taken place at all periods, even when no construction materials were being officially allowed into Gaza at all, and indeed even when the Strip remained under direct Israeli military control. These activities therefore cannot justify denying the entire population of 1.8 million people, many of whose homes have been destroyed, access to basic construction materials.
Finally, the nature of pledges made at the Cairo conference, including through what agency such funds would be channelled, varied widely among donors. Ireland's contribution is being directed essentially through UNRWA and other UN agencies, and is spent directly by them. There was no role for the former de facto (Hamas) authorities in Gaza. These have now in theory been dissolved, and control returned to the Palestinian government, but in practice there is a vacuum of real authority in Gaza, which is a matter of real concern.
Many other donors have made similar arrangements. I hope that all pledges made in Cairo will be made available in due course.
