The Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan says our common humanity demands an immediate halt to the violence in Gaza.
Israel and Hamas are both blaming each other for the collapse of a three day ceasefire after only a few hours. The truce, announced by the United States and the United Nations late on Thursday, was aimed at "giving innocent civilians a much-needed reprieve from violence".
Both sides accuse each other of breaking the agreement, which began at 6am Irish time. Palestinian officials say at least 50 people have been killed during Israeli shelling.
The Israeli army says one of its soldiers was captured in a Hamas attack in the Southern Gaza Strip and two others were killed.
It has been reported that Hadar Goldin (23), who went missing on Friday morning, holds dual Israeli-British nationality.
2nd. Lt. Hadar Goldin, 23 from Kfar Saba, is the soldier suspected to be kidnapped by Hamas earlier today.
— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) August 1, 2014
The second lieutenant, from the Kfar Saba area, was apparently captured as Israeli troops tried to destroy cross-border tunnels used by Palestinian militants.
Two other Israeli soldiers were reported to have been killed in the incident, which took place around 90 minutes into a three-day ceasefire which collapsed shortly afterwards.
"Once again, Hamas and the terror organisations in Gaza have blatantly broken the ceasefire to which they committed, this time before the American Secretary of State and the UN Secretary-General" Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said.
US Secretary of State John Kerry said the international community must now "redouble its efforts" to end rocket and tunnel attacks by Hamas on Israel.
Egypt, meanwhile, has reportedly delayed talks in Cairo aimed at negotiating a more durable deal.
It had been hoped Gazans would receive humanitarian relief and be able to bury the dead, tend to the injured and restock food supplies.
More than 1,500 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and over 60 Israelis, nearly all soldiers, have been killed during the latest conflict which began on July 8th.
Israel launched its offensive earlier this month in the face of "persistent" Hamas rocket attacks. It later expanded the operation to target Hamas tunnels.
A quarter of Gaza's population, some 440,000 people, have been displaced by the fighting.
Mr Flanagan told Newstalk he hopes diplomatic efforts to reinstate a ceasefire will succeed:
While spokesman for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) Chris Gunness spoke earlier to Newstalk Lunchtime:
In Pictures: Dublin protest over Gaza conflict
Originally posted 07:56
