Taking part in a demonstration at the Israeli Embassy in Dublin this afternoon to commemorate the Israeli invasion of Gaza, Proinsias De Rossa MEP, Chair of the European Parliament's Delegation for Relations with the Palestinian Legislative Council, called for an end to Israel's continuing, brutal siege of Gaza.

Mr De Rossa said: “One year ago on a visit to Gaza, following the Israeli War on the people there, I met people whose families had been almost completely wiped out, such as the surviving members of the Samouni family, 47 of whose members had been killed by Israeli bombs, including eight children and eight women.

"Israel's siege of Gaza, which has now been underway for more than two years, is destroying all hope. Gaza, which is half the size of County Louth, has been turned into a prison for the population of 1.5m people, half of whom are under 18 years of age.

"The Irish Government must renew its demand for an end to the siege and unilaterally initiate political and commercial steps to demonstrate to Israel that its actions in Gaza, and its settlement and apartheid activity in the West bank and East Jerusalem, are simply not acceptable.”