While Israeli authorities refused the GUE/NGL delegation entry to Gaza on the grounds that our delegation was not delivering immediate humanitarian support, MEPs have learnt that the Palestinian Red Crescent (PRC) faces huge difficulties getting urgent humanitarian support past Israeli checkpoints and into Gaza.

MEPs visited the PRC Headquarters and saw crates of urgent supplies, everything from medical equipment to mattresses to schoolbags. The PRC also send equipment for providing psycho-social support to children. Much of these supplies are funded by donations from Palestinians in the West Bank and Jerusalem.

GUE/NGL MEP Lynn Boylan said: “On our visit to the PRC centre in Ramallah we were moved by the impressive generosity of Palestinians in the West Bank and from humanitarian organisations worldwide.

“At the same time it was harrowing to view video footage of Gazans being evacuated from a hospital of distressed elderly and disabled people before it was completely destroyed by Israeli shelling and to see severely injured children receiving medical attention. The world must see these heart wrenching images and we have pledged to spread the truth as far as possible about what really happened in Gaza.”

GUE/NGL MEPs applaud the work of the very brave Red Crescent workers and express our condolences to the families of the two Red Crescent workers who were killed by Israeli’s as they tried to help Gazans.

The GUE/NGL Delegation also met Head of Ministerial committee for the relief of the Gaza Strip Shawki Al Ayassa and Health Minister Jawwad Awwad who briefed them on the scale of the damage to infrastructure.

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