Sunday 7 March 2010

Israel refuses visit of EU official to Gaza

PIC

[ 07/03/2010 - 11:17 AM ]

NAZARETH, (PIC)-- Israel turned down a request by Catherine Margaret Ashton, the High Representative of the European Union, to visit the Gaza Strip during her one week tour of the Middle East, Hebrew media reported.

They quoted political sources as saying that Tel Aviv has decided against granting the permission to Ashton to visit Gaza in mid March.

The sources said that Israel usually refuses such requests fearing that it might be explained as recognition of the "Hamas government", adding that Ashton could visit Gaza via Rafah crossing.

Ashton said that she wished to visit Gaza to get first hand information on the conditions in the Strip one year after the Israeli war.

Irish foreign minister Michael Martin had called on EU foreign ministers to visit Gaza to get acqunited with the tragic conditions in the Strip, which he visited last week.


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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

So the israeli government is not only the owner of the biggest zoo in
the world aka gaza strip, it also takes control to visitors who want to take a look at the creatures living there.
The reason the visitors are not allowed to enter this cage is not Hamas,it's the fear that other people may get an impression what it's like to be a neighbour of this glorious democracy.