Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore has voiced his serious concern over the violence in Gaza and southern Israel in recent days which has resulted in a large number of fatalities within Gaza and has left many Palestinian and Israeli civilians injured.
“I deplore the escalation of violence which we have witnessed in both Gaza and southern Israel since last Friday," the Foreign Affairs Minister said in a statement.
"I have repeatedly made clear that I condemn extrajudicial killings of any kind as well as the disproportionate use of military force which results in large-scale civilian casualties," he added.
“I equally and have repeatedly condemned the indiscriminate firing of rockets from Gaza into Israel and the resulting terror inflicted on the population of southern Israel.
“I join with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, EU High Representative Ashton and others in the international community in appealing for an immediate end to this latest cycle of violence and for urgent restraint to be shown on all sides.”