Trocaire has condemned the horrific attack on a religious school in the Jewish West Jerusalem overnight. In the attack a Palestinian gunman killed eight Israeli students. This brings the Israeli civilian death toll in the past week to 9. Simultaneously over 50 Palestinian civilians, including 27 children were killed in Gaza last weekend.

Trocaire and our partners unreservedly condemn attacks against civilians in clear violation of international law. Such attacks constitute war crimes and those responsible for their organisation must be prosecuted and tried in accordance with international legal standards.

B'Tselem, the Israeli information centre for human rights called on "Israelis and Palestinians to do everything in their power to protect civilians who are not taking part in fighting."

B'Tselem continued, "Israel has the right and the obligation to protect its citizens from rocket fire, itself a war crime, but it must do so only through legal means which abide by the principles of proportionality and distinction in International Humanitarian Law."

The attack against the Yeshiva (Jewish religious school) comes as part of an escalating cycle of violence in the region. Trócaire is working to try and ensure the protection of human rights and supports efforts to calm the tensions. Trocaire believes that isolation, poverty and desperation all feed extremism and confirm the cycle of violence.

In a report released earlier, describing the situation inside the Gaza Strip, Trocaire and 7 other international agencies observed that the situation has deteriorated to it's worst point ever.

The situation inside the Gaza Strip has deteriorated to it's worst point ever Trocaire has said in a report launched with seven other international agencies, including Oxfam and Christian Aid.

Trocaire's Palestine Programme Officer, Eoin Murray, who recently returned from a two week visit to Gaza, described the situation there as being 'unsustainable in the short or long term. The intense suffering of ordinary people has to stop or there will be dire consequences for Israelis and Palestinians. It is never too late to act for peace and to do this all sides must respect international law.'

The report, 'The Gaza Strip: humanitarian implosion', describes how 8 out of 10 people in Gaza now rely on food aid and how there has been a 95% collapse in business in some industries. In the past three years unemployment inside Gaza has rocketed up as the impact of Israel's checkpoint and closure regime takes its toll on ordinary people.

Humanitarian aid has also been affected by the heavy restrictions on bringing goods in to Gaza. Hospitals are unable to provide basic medical supplies and are suffering from severe electricity cuts, up to 12 hours per day in some cases.

The report argues that the ordinary people of Gaza are being punished for the actions of a violent minority and that this is only fuelling further violence and suffering on all sides.

While taking a clear stance against rocket fire by Palestinians against innocent Israelis the report also states that it is completely unacceptable for Israel to carry out attacks which result in the death or injury to large numbers of Palestinian civilians.

Eoin Murray continued 'people in Gaza are living in darkness, without electricity, without fuel without the money to buy food. Gaza is becoming a breeding ground for more violence and the sanctions policy supported by the EU is fuelling the cycle of violence, anger and frustration.'

Raji Sourani, Director of the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, Trocaire's main partner inside the Gaza Strip said 'the situation for Palestinian civilians has become unbearable. They are living in a place where no one respects the rule of law. The failure of the international community to act is shocking. Palestinians are badly in need of international protection."

B'Tselem, the Israeli information centre for human rights who also have Palestinian staff in Gaza called on "Israelis and Palestinians to do everything in their power to protect civilians who are not taking part in the fighting. Israel has the right and the obligation to protect its citizens from rocket fire, itself a war crime, but it most do so only through legal means which abide by the principles of proportionality and distinction in International Humanitarian Law."

Trocaire is working with Israeli and Palestinian human rights organisations to ensure respect for basic human rights and dignity. Trocaire also provides humanitarian aid to ordinary people during emergency situations.