UNHRC passes five resolutions on Israel

In a final meeting for its 25th session, held on Friday, the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) passed five resolutions on Israel; four on the conflict with Palestinians and one on the Golan Heights.

The Palestinian permanent mission in the UN introduced the four-draft resolution regarding the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

The resolutions covered self-determination for the Palestinians, human rights violations in the occupied territories, settlements and the report of the UN fact-finding mission about the conflict in the Gaza Strip.

Before voting on the resolution, Palestinian ambassador to the UN Ibrahim Khreeshi delivered a speech in which he thanked the UNHRC member states for their cooperation regarding Palestinian-Israeli issues.

He said: “We look at the Palestinian-Israeli issue from three perspectives: continuous human rights violations carried out by the Israeli occupation, daily and systematic Israel aggressions and efforts to reach the two-state solution.”

A peaceful solution to the Palestinian-Israeli issue, according to Khreeshi, is the key to self-determination. He also mentioned the Israeli attack on Jenin last week, which left three Palestinians dead.

Khreeshi also referred to Israeli settlements as a type of violation of international law by Israel. He called for Israel to respect international law.

From the 47 members, 46 voted for the resolutions; the US voted against them. US representative Paula Shcriefer said: “They work against our collective efforts to advance a peaceful resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict.”

According to the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, she called on the council’s members to “avoid actions that hinder” such an outcome, in a short speech in which she argued “the council continually singles out Israel for criticism without acknowledging the violent attacks directed against its people.”

“Only Israel, a vibrant and open democracy, has received such treatment,” she said.

Clashes between Egypt police, protesters kill 4

Four people, including a female journalist, have been killed in fresh clashes between security forces and anti-government protesters in Egypt.

The four were killed in Cairo on Friday when police clashed with Muslim Brotherhood supporters protesting against ex-army chief Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s presidency bid, AFP reported.

The journalist was identified as Mayada Ashraf, who worked for privately owned Al-Dustour newspaper and freelanced for news website Masr Al Arabia. She was shot in the head while covering clashes in the northern neighborhood of Ain Shams, according to a security official.

The official said three more people were killed and 10 injured in the same violence.

On Friday, Egyptians took to the streets of various cities across the country to vent their anger at Sisi, who overthrew Egypt’s first democratically-elected president, Mohamed Morsi, nine months ago.

The anti-government demonstrators also criticized death sentences handed down to around 500 supporters of the ousted president and the Muslim Brotherhood in a case related to the killing of a single police officer in the Nile Valley city of Minya.

On Wednesday, Sisi announced his resignation to run for president.

Analysts say state institutions and media are all geared toward Sisi’s candidacy, a situation which undermines the chances of a fair competition for any other candidate.

Egypt has been experiencing unrelenting violence since Morsi was ousted on July 3, 2013.

Rights groups say at least 1,400 people have been killed in the violence since the ouster of Morsi, “most of them due to excessive force used by security forces.”

MN/MHB/MAM

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Chris was appointed editor of the Evening Gazette in January 2012. He is also a former Gazette news editor. Chris has more than 20 years experience as a journalist and has previously worked in senior positions in Newcastle, Exeter and Nottingham.

Egypt police clash with anti-coup protesters

Egyptian police have once again clashed with anti-government protesters in various cities across Egypt, following the announcement of Field Marshal Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s presidential nomination.

Tens of anti-coup protesters were injured and arrested by security forces in the Sidi Bishr area of Egypt’s northern city of Alexandria on Friday.

Police stationed themselves outside of mosques after Friday prayers when demonstrators began chanting slogans against Egyptian officials and the military-backed interim government.

Additionally, in Cairo’s Maadi and Ain Shams neighborhoods, police fired tear gas at people marching against Sisi who recently announced his resignation as Egypt’s military chief to run for president.

The anti-government demonstrators also criticized death sentences handed down to roughly 500 supporters of ousted president, Mohammed Morsi, and the Muslim Brotherhood in a case related to the killing of a single police officer in the Nile Valley city of Minya.

Meanwhile, demonstrators have been holding rival rallies across cities in Egypt including Cairo, Alexandria and the Nile Delta city of Mansoura.

Earlier on Friday, attackers stormed Sisi’s campaign offices in the northern city of Port Said.

Sisi was appointed as the general commander of the armed forces and defense minister by Morsi back in 2012.

Egypt has been experiencing unrelenting violence since Morsi, the country’s first democratically-elected president, was ousted on July 3, 2013.

Rights groups say at least 1,400 people have been killed in the violence since the ouster of Morsi, “most of them due to excessive force used by security forces.”

GMA/AB/SS

Myanmar government backs oppression against Muslims

Myanmar’s government has been behind the ongoing atrocities against Rohingya Muslims in the country, a human rights activist tells Press TV.

“I do have a strong feeling that there is support behind the scenes by the government,” said Myra Dahgaypaw, the coordinator of the US Campaign for Burma, in a Friday interview.

The commentator also pointed out that if the Myanmar government is “coming out strongly” condemning the actions that are “not suitable to the situation,” there has to be “some kind of security for the people or for the Rohingyas themselves.”

Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar account for about five percent of the country’s population of nearly 60 million. They have been persecuted and faced torture, neglect, and repression since the country’s independence in 1948.

The UN recognizes the Rohingya Muslims living in Myanmar’s western state of Rakhine as one of the world’s most persecuted communities.

Hundreds of Rohingyas are believed to have been killed and thousands displaced in attacks by Buddhist extremists.

The Myanmar government has been repeatedly criticized by human rights groups for failing to protect the Rohingya Muslim community.

ASH/HSN

Petition filed to Home Ministry on video of Muslim man forced to praise Modi

By TCN News,

A video posted on YouTube under the name of “Krishna Prasad” shows a Muslim man being coerced into saying “Narendra Modi hamara baap hai,” (Narendra Modi is my father), and other phrases such as “Jai Jai Shri Ram,” as well as anti-Pakistan phrases. The man is being held by his beard and is evidently being spoken to very aggressively by the person obscured in the video.

ILS Law College graduate Shehzad Poonawalla has put together a petition to the Election Commission, Minister for State of Home Affairs, National Commission for Minorities, and National Foundation for Communal Harmony. The petition states that the video, if genuine, violates Indian Penal Code section 503 (criminal intimidation), 153A (incitement of hatred/ill will between communities), section 295A (hurting religious sentiments) and section 505 (public mischief. It also violates the Information Technology Act of 2000

According to Poonawalla, the veracity of the video has not yet come to light but that the Election Commission must take action as soon as possible given the potential for videos like this to incite further divide and animosity.

The riots in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh of September 2013 began due to a series of fake videos of members of a community killing another, circulated by political personalities. The potential for circulation of fake or real videos has the potential to instigate violence and therefore a petition is circulated to request the EC and other relevant ministries take action against it

Christopher Graham: Young motorcyclist dies following collision near Skelton

Christopher Graham, 24, had recently taken a job in Sheffield but had been home in Lingdale for his son's birthday

The 24-year-old motorcyclist involved in a collision on Apple Orchard bank between Saltburn and Skelton on the morning of Wednesday 26th March has sadly died.

Christopher Graham was taken to James Cook University Hospital with serious injuries following the collision but unfortunately died this morning (Saturday 29th March).

Christopher had four brothers and four sisters and a son called Kian.

He had recently taken a job in Sheffield but had been home in Lingdale for his son’s birthday.

Christopher was fostered by Neville and Margaret at the age of 6 and has a step-sister.

He continued to be very close to his foster family but throughout his foster care he maintained a very strong bond with his birth family in Middlesbrough.

Christopher loved outdoor pursuits especially shooting and fishing.

He also loved motorbikes and socialising, and had many friends in the Lingdale area .

His mum Dorothy said: “Christopher was a joy to our life. He never missed anything and always had a zest for life.”

Christopher’s step-dad Neville said: “He was a fantastic son and brother to his whole family and a loyal friend. He was our pride and joy and will be sadly missed.”

Police continue their investigations into the circumstances of the collision and any witnesses are asked to contact the investigating officer PC Steve Harbison at the Cleveland and Durham Specialist Operations Unit on 101. Please quote event 44912.

Female Journalist covering clashes, shot dead in Egypt

Cairo: An Egyptian journalist was killed Friday during clashes between security forces and supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi at a neighbourhood in Cairo, media reported.

“Our colleague Maiada Ashraf, journalist, was shot dead while covering the ongoing clashes at Ezbat al-Nakhl neighbourhood in Ain Shams town in Cairo,” Xinhua quoted Dostor online newspaper, for which the journalist worked, as saying in a report.

Several marches were staged Friday by Morsi’s supporters across Egypt in reaction to the recently-announced presidential bid of ex-military chief Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, who carried out Morsi’s ouster.

Protests were held at several provinces, including the national capital, Giza, Alexandria, Fayoum, Beheira, Qalioubiya and Qena.

Clashes between security men and protesters during some marches left several people injured.

Pro-Morsi protesters chanted slogans against the military and the government as they consider Morsi’s removal by the army last July “a military coup”.

Morsi’s loyalists were infuriated when Sisi officially announced that he would run for president.

Since Morsi’s removal, his loyalists have been staging constant anti-government protests in defiance of a fierce security crackdown, mass arrests and trials as well as a new anti-protest law.

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Chris was appointed editor of the Evening Gazette in January 2012. He is also a former Gazette news editor. Chris has more than 20 years experience as a journalist and has previously worked in senior positions in Newcastle, Exeter and Nottingham.

Movie review: Captain America - The Winter Soldier (12A)

After the cataclysmic events in New York with The Avengers, Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, living quietly in Washington, D.C. and trying to adjust to the modern world. But when a S.H.I.E.L.D. colleague comes under attack, Steve becomes embroiled in a web of intrigue that threatens to putthe world at risk.

The ninth movie in the ‘Marvel Cinematic Universe’ is another breathtakingly ambitious action thriller.

It also sets itself up as a 1970s-style paranoia picture before inevitably yielding to the perceived need for an explosive climax.

Rocketeer director Joe Johnston directed the visually stylish first Captain America movie as an engaging character study which appreciated Second World War history.

Chris Evans is again perfect as the muscular superhero with human weaknesses.

Though lacking action film experience, sibling directors Joe and Anthony Russo (You, Me and Dupree) soon introduce giant aerial warships via Project Insight to kill terrorists before they can strike.

“I thought punishment usually came after the crime,” observes Steve Rogers (aka Captain America).

Conspiracy theories are swirling around Washington DC where Rogers is living quietly two years after being told at the end of Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) that he has been ‘asleep’ for nearly 70 years.

Rogers’ lack of pop culture awareness gives him an interesting vulnerability and world security is at risk after an attack on a senior colleague from the espionage and law enforcement agency S.H.I.E.L.D.

With Captain America facing enemies galore, can covert operative Black Widow / Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) and new flying ally The Falcon / Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) help him to overcome the formidable Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan)?

As Bucky Barnes, he was even once rescued by best friend Steve Rogers. Later thought to have been killed during WWII, he’s now a deadly, brainwashed assassin.

In a welcome nod to 1970s’ movies like Three Days of the Condor, Robert Redford guests as senior S.H.I.E.L.D. leader Alexander Pierce, though the 3D makes the now 77-year-old star looks as if he’s gingerly walking across a Thunderbirds’ set.

Marvel Studios’ president of production Kevin Feige is on a tightrope trying to create individual blockbusters within an increasingly complex Marvel mosaic.

But Winter Soldier has enough intrigue to satisfy fans and a Heat-style street battle cements it as a stand-alone thriller, albeit one which doesn’t really reflect how ‘winter soldiers’ were 1970s’ Vietnam veterans concerned about US war crimes.

Too many close-up fist fights are fuzzy in 3D.

Chopping them could have considerably shortened the 136-minute running time, while distributors Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures might have asked for the head butts to be removed.

Don’t leave too soon, though! There’s an extra scene during the credits and one more at the death, too.

Movie review: 20 Feet From Stardom (12A)

The untold true story of the backup singers behind some of the greatest musical legends of the 21st century.

You might not recognise the names Darlene Love, Judith Hill, Merry Clayton, Lisa Fischer, Táta Vega and Jo Lawry.

But you will certainly have heard their incredible voices.

These girls put the heart and soul into the pop culture generation and then, for the most part, had to be content to remain just 20 Feet From Stardom.

Having previously made documentaries about Sidney Poitier, Brian Wilson and Johnny Cash, director Morgan Neville knows how to turn the stories of exceptional people into compelling films.

The difference here is that his subjects have always been in the background – until now.

Thanks to the late producer Gil Friesen wanting to know more about them, their extraordinary talents are finally recognised in a film so brilliant it even managed to beat The Act of Killing to this year’s best feature documentary Oscar.

As well as working with legends like Frank Sinatra, Sam Cooke and Phil Spector, the black subjects here were also used on Monster Mash (‘the song where we had to sound white’) and some even provided screeching vocal effects on James Cameron’s Avatar.

But it’s on stage and in the studio – often being used as ‘ghost’ singers to sell named artistes – where the girls excelled, as Bruce Springsteen, Mick Jagger and Steve Wonder generously testify.

Judith Hill’s account of Michael Jackson’s shock death is spine-tingling.

And Sting dismisses talent shows like American Idol, saying “If you bypass the spiritual work that you need to become a star then your success will be wafer thin.”

The X Factor might manipulate viewers’ emotions, but when you stop to realise what these girls have done to enrich your life, only for one to become a cleaner and another to start teaching Spanish, your tears will be real.

Mustapha Carayol must take it a day at a time, says Boro boss Aitor Karanka

Aitor Karanka knows how hard it is to recover from a cruciate knee ligament injury, having suffered the same at Athletic Bilbao in 2005

Aitor Karanka is refusing to put a time frame on Mustapha Carayol’s first team return.

The Boro boss knows from bitter experience just how hard it is to recover from a cruciate knee ligament injury.

And that’s one of the reasons why he doesn’t want to put a figure to how long Carayol will be out of contention.

The Boro winger tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in the Championship fixture at Bournenmouth two weeks ago and is set to go under the knife any day now to have the damage repaired.

He is likely to be out of action for approximately six months, which would mean he won’t play competitively for Boro until September at the earliest.

Asked how long he thought Carayol would be unavailable, Karanka said: “It’s difficult. Maybe you can say six months and it ends up being seven or eight.

“Or you can say eight and it’s only six so with this kind of injury you have to be careful not to commit to a date.

“It’s a long injury and we have games until the end of the season and it’s not good to speculate whether it’s six, seven or eight months.

“I suffered this injury when I was in Athletic Bilbao in 2005,” he added. “And with this kind of injury it’s better to think day-by-day because it’s so far away.

“It’s not important to think about one week or two weeks with this kind of injury.

“Muzzy’s injury is similar to mine but each player is different, the mentality is different, the conditions are different.

“I’m sure Muzzy will come back stronger, more mature and a better player for sure.

“I can understand what he’s going through and that’s why I sent him to be with his family because the early days can be difficult.

“It’s important to be surrounded by your family and friends.”

It’s been a topsy-turvy few weeks for Carayol, who was in fine form at the start of the year, scoring both goals in a 2-0 win at Blackpool.

However, after a disagreement with Karanka at Watford in February, he was dropped for two games because of a “bad attitude”.

On his return he played well, inspiring Boro to victory against Ipswich and scoring against Nottingham Forest before suffering his injury at Bournemouth.

Albert Adomah praises work Danny Graham gets though on behalf of Boro team

Albert Adomah says Danny Graham is making a huge and unselfish contribution to the team in every game he plays

Albert Adomah has praised the work Danny Graham gets though on behalf of the Boro team.

Going into today’s Championship fixture at Brighton, the deadline day loan signing from Sunderland had managed just two goals in 10 appearances for Boro.

But Adomah insists Graham is making a huge and unselfish contribution to the team in every game he plays.

“On the pitch he does loads of hard work but people maybe don’t see that,” said the winger, pointing to one of the goals he scored on Tuesday at Huddersfield as an example.

“For one goal he made a great run to open things up for me.

“He comes off the pitch sweating and covered with bruises on his legs and his back.

“He does a lot of work to help the team.”

Of course, Graham was signed by Boro to primarily score goals and, in that respect, the move hasn’t worked as planned so far.

But Adomah believes Graham’s natural ability to score hasn’t disappeared.

“He is a clinical striker, believe me. He is brilliant in training and he bangs them in,” said the Ghana international.

“Everyone wants Danny to score.

“He’s come from the Premier League and he’s a great striker but he hasn’t really shown us yet what he can do.”

Students Peacefully Protest Against Biased Media

By TCN News,

Jaipur: On 27th March Students Committee of the Global Institute of Technology, Jaipur with huge crowd took to the Road of Jaipur, Rajasthan to protest against discrimination of media towards minorities.

Many social activists belonging to different religions gathered for the protest which was carried out peacefully. Activists and students carried placards and banners shaming Indian media for its attitude towards minorities. Students shouted slogans against media like “shame on media”, “stop playing with innocent lives” etc. They demanded action against such media which arbitrarily declares any person as terrorist without any proof and evidence. Due to this students are harassed unnecessarily. Justice should be delivered timely as justice delayed to innocents is justice denied.

It has now become an act of politics that before elections minorities are targeted and innocents belonging to minority communities are arrested accusing them for terrorist activity. Media discrimination in the way the stories are constructed rule against minorities’ life. People, including well known scholars from minorities are arbitrarily arrested and media stoke about them without any concrete evidence and any judicial statement. Minority youth is deliberately targeted and deprived of their rights which go against the spirit of Secularism.

These innocent people are taken into custody for long years and because of there being no evidence against them they are finally released. But when they come out, their life changes and they don’t find any resource to recover it back. There is a lot of empirical data which shows large number of young Muslims are put in prison without trial or charge-sheet for years.

The students stressed the need for strict and prompt action against erring media and police officers when Malafide arrests are made of any member of a minority community. They demand that Press Council of India must ensure that no innocent person is subjected to undue harassment. The students highlighted the need for peace and communal harmony

West accuses Syria over 3.5 million in need

Source: Al Jazeera

The Syrian government has allowed aid convoys to cross only one of eight border crossings identified by the United Nations as a priority, Western ambassadors said.

In February, the UN Security Council passed the first humanitarian resolution of the three-year civil war, demanding that the government and armed opposition allow aid to reach civilians.

But in the first progress report a month on, UN humanitarian chief Valerie Amos said the situation had only deteriorated and she demanded blanket, unhindered access to affected populations.

“Conflict and violence has intensified,” Amos told reporters after the closed-doors sessionAccording to Amos, only six percent of the population living in besieged areas had received assistance in the last month.

Since February 22, 300 cases of sexual violence have been recorded in and around Damascus alone, and hundreds of thousands more Syrians had been newly displaced, Amos added.

“Spending days and weeks negotiating to get one inter-agency convoy is a waste of valuable time,” Amos said.

The United States said the Syrian government had “utterly failed” to comply with the UN Security Council resolution and remained the biggest obstacle to the delivery of aid.

Syrian government officials use administrative snares to cripple UN field missions, repeatedly hold up convoys and remove medical supplies from convoys, US ambassador Samantha Power said.

Power said 3.5 million people could be reached “literally with the stroke of a pen” if the Syrian government allowed UN convoys in through other border crossings.

“It is the government alone that is denying the UN access across these checkpoints,” she said.

Britain and the US said they would be working with the rest of the Security Council on what further steps could be taken to ensure compliance, though they would not be drawn on specifics, the AFP news agency reported.

“What we are seeing is a pattern of arbitrary denial of access in violation of international humanitarian law and despite the Council’s demands,” British ambassador Mark Lyall Grant said.

Of 220,000 Syrians living under siege, 80 percent remain besieged by the Syrian government and of the total only 14,000 have been reached in the last month, Britain said.

Luxembourg, the rotating president of the Security Council, said the resolution had seen little to no progress

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Drunken Stockton women who torched man's flat destroying everything he owned are jailed

Kirsty Scott and Natasha Davis broke into the ground floor flat when the owner was out visiting a friend and they set fire to his bed

Two drunken women who torched a man’s flat destroying everything he owned were jailed yesterday.

Kirsty Scott, 24, and Natasha Davis, 20, broke into the Stockton ground floor flat when he was out visiting a friend and they set fire to his bed.

But they instantly regretted it and asked a passer-by to call the fire brigade, Teesside Crown Court was told.

Davis’s lawyer Alex Bousfield told the judge: “She understands that the man lost everything he had in the world in that fire.

“Other people lived nearby, and she very much regrets her involvement in it.”

The value of his property which was all destroyed was just £1,500 and the damage to the building in Cromwell Avenue, central Stockton, was £3,800.

The women were standing in the street nearby when the man returned to the blazing scene at 6pm January 3 last year after he was alerted by a friend.

Prosecutor Rachel Masters said that he asked them if they knew who had been involved in starting it and they said that they did not.

She said that he knew both of them because he had been in a six month relationship with Scott which ended.

Duncan McReddie, defending Scott, said that her story was that the man had made unwelcome approaches to her.

He added: “They were both very drunk.

“She has had a problem with drink and drunken behaviour since she was a child.

“But since she has been remanded in custody she has been undergoing counselling and education, and she approaches these matters with a clear head.

“She is determined to use the inevitable term of imprisonment and to undertake counselling and training for the future.”

The judge told the women that it was a very dangerous and wicked act.

Judge Advocate Paul Camp said: “You were both well and truly drunk and you were not really in your right mind when you did it.

“I suspect you were beginning to realise the seriousness of what you had done at an early stage and you wanted to do something about it.

“This is a very serious offence which requires a substantial immediate custodial sentence”

Scott, of Melville Walk, Tilery, Stockton, was jailed for 40 months and Davis of Zetland Road, Stockton, was sentenced to 30 months custody after they pleaded guilty to arson being reckless whether lives were endangered

Thornaby Methodist Church targeted again as heartless thieves steal TV, laptops and charity box

Thornaby Methodist Church, which is home to Noah’s Ark Family Centre, has suffered two break-ins in less than two weeks

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Burglary at Noah's Ark Family Centre library

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Members of a Teesside church which has been plagued by burglaries have been left “distressed” once again after suffering two break-ins in less than two weeks.

Thornaby Methodist Church, which is home to Noah’s Ark Family Centre, was broken into on Thursday night with the heartless thieves stealing a TV, seven laptops and a charity box.

They also caused extensive damage to the building - knocking down seven doors and breaking a window on the roof.

The break-in came nearly two weeks after another burglary in which thieves stole a sum of money after gaining entry through a ventilator shaft.

The long-suffering church has been a victim of break-ins in the past, with burglaries in 2012 and 2011.

Judith Powell, senior steward at the church in Stanstead Way, said: “It has been very distressing for us.

“The most recent break-in happened overnight on Thursday.

“We had to close the play centre on Friday morning while scenes of crime officers investigated.

“They have caused quite a lot of damage to all parts of the buildings. They have gained access by breaking a window in the roof and then, because a lot of the doors are locked, they have had to knock down seven doors.

“As well as the TV and the laptops, they have taken a charity collection which was for the Butterwick Hospice.”

In June 2012 the family centre had its wages and donations taken after a safe was stolen and a till was smashed during a burglary.

In August 2011 lead was stolen from the roof and the facility has also previously been vandalised.

Mrs Powell added: “It is very upsetting but the damage can be put right and we can move on from this.

“What we would really like is for the people responsible to explain why they have done this. Why they feel the need to do something like this.”

A spokeswoman for Cleveland Police confirmed that they are investigating both burglaries. The first happened on March 16 and the second overnight on Thursday. Inquiries are ongoing.

Israel prevents EU delegation from entering Gaza

An official European parliamentary delegation was prevented, by Israel, from entering the besieged Gaza Strip yesterday.

A Moscow News Agency published a statement by the European Council which said the occupation forces located at Beit Hanoon crossing Erez in the north of the Gaza Strip prevented members of the delegation from entering Gaza.

The European delegation included the British politician Chris Davies, Norbert Netzer from Germany and Kyle Neilson from France.

The statement said: “The Israeli authorities claimed that the crossing of the EU delegation to Gaza was unrelated to the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.” This has been strongly refuted by members of the delegation.

According to the statement of the EU delegation, members of the European Parliament see that the closure of the Strip by Israel is a violation of international laws, pointing out that the occupation has already brought about an economic catastrophe upon the Palestinian people in Gaza causing the humanitarian situation that is now present.

The members said: “Instead of preventing the delegation from assessing the use of European taxpayers’ money, the authorities should be largely grateful for the efforts undertaken by the European Union”.

The statement emphasised that the Geneva Convention confirms that Israel is responsible for the welfare of the people under its control and occupation.

According to the statement by the EU delegation, the aim of the visit was to hold meetings with officials from the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) to discuss the use of EU funds on humanitarian projects in the Gaza Strip.

This is the second time Israel has denied a European parliamentary delegation from entering the Gaza Strip, a team was prevented from accessing the Strip last October.

UNRWA receives more than €100 million annually from the EU to spend on the distribution of emergency food supplies and for the provision of education in the Gaza Strip.

UNRWA Commissioner-General for Palestinian refugees Filippo Grandi demanded the international community take action to lift the siege on Gaza