British MPs come under machine gun fire

Israeli defence forces were today accused of shooting at a group of British politicians.

The cross-party group was on a visit to the site where British peace campaigner Tom Hurndall was killed when they say they came under fire.

Liberal Democrat peer Baroness Northover said the group was travelling under UN supervision in Rafah when they were shot at from an Israeli observation post.

She said machine gun fire passed closely over their heads.

They then pulled back to the vehicle clearly marked with the UN logo when further shots where fired at the building next to the car.

They are now demanding an explanation from the Israeli ambassador to Britain.

Baroness Northover, who was travelling with Labour MP Huw Irranca-Davies and Tory MP Crispin Blunt, said: “This incident has shown me firsthand the indiscriminate violence faced by Palestinians on a daily basis.

"If the Israeli Defence Force is prepared to shoot at a delegation of parliamentarians under the supervision of the UN, one wonders what treatment ordinary Palestinians are given.”

Baroness Northover said the action may have been an attempt to stop the group seeing the full effect of Israel’s policy of demolishing Palestinian housing in Gaza.