Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 23 Oct 2003

Vol. 573 No. 2

Written Answers. - Foreign Conflicts.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Ceist:

105 Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will make direct representations to the Israeli authorities on behalf of the State in the aftermath of the Israeli military attack on Rafah Refugee Camp; and if he will also call on the Israeli Government to immediately cease the practice of destroying Palestinian homes and other properties as a form of collective punishment and of using excessive and disproportionate force against unarmed Palestinians in densely populated residential areas. [24724/03]

Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Cowen):

I would draw the Deputy's attention to my statement of 22 October in which I set out the Government's position on Israeli military action in the Gaza Strip. In that statement I called on both sides to immediately implement policies conducive to dialogue and negotiations and to live up to the commitments they undertook at the Aqaba summit in June of this year. The contents of this statement have been conveyed to the Israeli authorities.