Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 15 June 2023
3. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs his response to the recent incursion of Israeli forces into Ramallah; his engagements with his EU counterparts on this matter; and if he has raised objections with the Israeli Government. [29061/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI ask the Tánaiste if he will give his response about the recent incursion of Israeli forces into Ramallah and his engagements with his EU counterparts in respect of holding Israel accountable for its war crimes.
I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I am extremely concerned by the incursion by Israeli forces into Ramallah last week, which was significant in scale and resulted in civilian casualties, several resulting from the use of live ammunition. This action forms part of a deeply worrying trend that we have witnessed over recent months, including the raids by Israeli forces on the city of Nablus and Jenin refugee camp, which have been previously raised in this House. It is telling that, against this backdrop, the United Nations has reported that the number of Palestinian fatalities in the first quarter of 2023 is almost three times higher than the same period in 2022. Palestinian injuries from live ammunition are six times higher.
I am concerned not only by the fact of this encouragement but also its objective: the demolition of the family home of a person accused of a terrorist attack. The fourth Geneva Convention provides that no protected person may be punished for an offence he or she has not personally committed. I have not yet engaged in detail with the European Union's Israeli counterparts on this specific incident but I have consistently set out Ireland's principled position, namely, that Israel is the occupying power and it must abide by its obligations under international law, including the requirement to protect the civilian population. Recourse to measures that are clearly contrary to international law will only lead us further away from a negotiated peace based on a two-state solution.
Ireland does not stand alone on this. The European Union has repeatedly called on Israel to halt continued settlement expansion, evictions, demolitions and forced transfers. In February, the UN Security Council reiterated its strong opposition to all unilateral measures that impede peace, including the demolition of Palestinian homes and displacement of Palestinian civilians. I urge Israel to pay heed to the international consensus on such actions.
The encouraging of the large Israeli military convoy into Ramallah led to at least 35 people being wounded, at least 20 of whom received their injuries from live bullets. Israeli forces were ostensibly seeking to demolish the home of a man accused of attacks in Jerusalem last year, but that practice of Israel is described as collective punishment, which is illegal under international and humanitarian law. As the Tánaiste knows, these injuries follow the killing of 112 Palestinians by Israeli forces in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in the first five months of this year. Those 112 people include 27 children but do not include Haitham al-Tamimi, who was shot and injured in June while driving his car with his three-year-old son, Mohammed, who died four days after the attack. These events continue to occur. Israel continues to act with impunity. Unless we undertake a strong international response, these events will continue and we will eventually become culpable.
I share the Deputy's revulsion at what has happened. Thirty-five people were wounded, including 20 by live bullets. Two people reportedly suffered serious abdominal wounds, while another was hit in the head by a rubber-coated metal bullet. The family apartment was on the first floor of a four-storey building. Its destruction has displaced the parents and four sisters of the accused. This may amount to collective punishment. It is collective punishment, which is a war crime under international law. Ireland has taken a principled and strong stance on the broader Israel-Palestinian issue for a long period and it has been consistent. We work with other European countries, especially like-minded member states, to see whether we can get a stronger position in respect of this, and to try to create conditions and a framework for a meaningful and viable two-state solution. It seems to me that solution, as this kind of activity continues, is receding.
To illustrate the difficulty the international community is in, this week members of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence held an informal meeting with commissioners from the UN commission of inquiry that is looking into human rights issues in Palestine and Israel. It published reports to the UN Human Rights Council and the General Assembly in which it is critical of the Palestine Liberation Organization, Hamas and the Israeli regime. The fundamental difference is that of those three the Israeli Government is the only one that not only refuses to engage but refuses the UN commission access either to Palestine or Israel, and has actually embarked on an international propaganda exercise to discredit the very esteemed members of that commission.
If there is a situation where an Israeli Government that has preferential treatment as regards its trading relationships with the EU, as well as other entities, can simply ignore, prevent and obstruct the work of UN commissions of inquiry, does the Tánaiste agree we need to move beyond the very strong rhetoric into equally strong actions against that regime?
I ask for the Deputy's co-operation. I do not wish to keep interrupting him.
The most effective approach will have to be a collective one within the European Union. There is no consensus across Europe in respect of this issue. There is consensus regarding the violation of international law and the expansion of settlements, but how one puts flesh on the bones of newer policy initiatives is more challenging and difficult. As I said, Ireland, along with other like-minded states, wants to strengthen its relationship and that of the EU with the Palestinian National Authority, and put it on a level footing or a level approximating to the level of the relationship with Israel. We want to increase dialogue with the Palestinian National Authority on a more ongoing basis at EU level, and continue and strengthen our supports to the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration, which provides significant relief and educational supports to children in Gaza and the occupied territories more generally.
