Spain's Zapatero to head the delegation
Photo: Reuters
EU ministers to visit Gaza in September
Delegation responds to invitation from Lieberman to see Gaza situation 'with their own eyes'
Diplomatic sources in Madrid said Tuesday a ministerial delegation from the EU, headed by Spain's Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, will visit the Gaza Strip this September.
The delegation, originally scheduled to arrive in August, was invited by Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman during a meeting with his Italian counterpart Franco Frattini. The idea was to enable the EU representatives to see the humanitarian situation in the Strip with their own eyes.
The visit, to include representatives from Britain, Germany, France and Norway, will follow last Sunday's visit by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton. Ashton's visit was the first of its kind since Israel implemented its blockade policy in response to Hamas' takeover of the Strip in 2007.
Ashton noted there had been a certain improvement in the population's situation but said it was not particularly large. She promised to return to ascertain the improvement had continued. Ashton also emphasized that the residents of the Gaza Strip must be allowed to lead normal lives.
Ashton made a point of avoiding meeting Hamas representatives during her time in the Strip. She visited a pharmaceuticals factory financed by EU funds in Beit Hanoun, the Jabaliya refugee camp, and UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) premises.
