The absence of a credible peace process in the Middle East is to blame for the spiralling violence between Palestinian factions, Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern said today.
He condemned the violence between Fatah and Hamas fighters in Gaza and the West Bank and warned of the danger of an outright Palestinian civil war.
Speaking ahead of talks of the crisis at next Monday's EU Council meeting in Luxembourg, Mr Ahern said he would call for international efforts to secure political agreement between Palestinians and Israelis.
The violence had deepened the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and would be a setback to the cause of the Palestinian people, he said.
"All violence in and from the Occupied Territories must end. It is essential that all parties avoid an outright civil war, which would destroy the remaining hopes of the Palestinian people and further destabilise the entire region."
Mr Ahern spoke out as the battle for control of the Palestinian territories continued between the Fatah and Hamas groups. But the minister said a Palestinian-Israeli peace process must be developed to deal with the problems of the region.
"There can be no military solution. We have strongly supported the efforts of President Mahmoud Abbas to achieve a united Palestinian position in support of a negotiated two-state solution, and continue to believe that there is no other sane option at this point," Mr Ahern said.
"I believe that the European Union must now act more effectively, in co-operation with our international partners, with the Palestinians and the Israelis and with neighbouring Arab states, to keep alive the prospect of a two-state solution."