MEPs on Middle East fact-finding mission

Two Irish MEPs are travelling on a fact-finding mission to Israel and Palestine to discuss humanitarian concerns following the four-week Israeli offensive in Gaza.

Fine Gael’s Colm Burke and Bairbre de Brun of Sinn Féin will be part of the 15-member European Parliament delegation which arrives in Jerusalem tomorrow.

More than 1,000 people died and thousands were injured following the Israeli attacks in Gaza during December and January.

“The European Parliament delegation will be investigating if there were breaches of international humanitarian law and or international human rights law during the recent conflict in the region,” said a spokeswoman for Mr Burke.

The 15 MEPs will meet with representatives of the Israeli Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the prime minister of the Palestinian National Authority, Salam Fayyad.

Talks with members of Israel’s Knesset parliament in Jerusalem are also planned.

In Gaza, the politicians will visit hospitals and schools accompanied by representatives from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).

The European Parliament delegation will also hold several meetings with UN agencies, NGOs and human rights organisations.

Travelling on to the West Bank, MEPs will also visit the towns of Bethlehem, Hebron and Ramallah during the five-day trip.

A summit on the reconstruction of Gaza, which will be attended by politicians from 80 countries, will be held in Egypt on Monday.

The Seanad is due to hold a debate on the recent conflict in the Middle East on Thursday.