Irish delegation on Mideast visit

Foreign Affairs Minister Dermot Ahern has appealed for Israel and Palestinian officials to push for a ceasefire as Irish politicians begin a mission to the region.

A delegation from the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs will meet non-governmental organisations,

UN representatives and teams involved in the peace talks. The five-day trip is aimed at bringing lessons from the Northern Ireland peace process to the troubled region.

Around 100 Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers have died in a series of rocket and missile attacks the last few days.

Mr Ahern said he was very concerned by the escalation of violence in Gaza and appealed for an urgent ceasefire.

"It is in the interests of the Israeli and Palestinian people that all parties now meet their responsibilities and end the violence," he said. "At this point, there are no easy options, and there are certainly no military solutions. The only way forward is to restore momentum to the political process."

The five-day visit by Irish politicians follows meetings the Joint Committee had with members of the Knesset and Palestinian representatives in Ireland last year.