A Belgian parliamentary delegation that left for a mission in the Palestinian territories has been denied entry to Gaza by Israel, indicated on Tuesday their president, deputy Gwenaëlle Grovonius. The Belgian deputies were scheduled to be in Gaza on Tuesday, following an invitation by UNRWA, to meet various NGO actors. All the contacts and meetings had been organised by Belgian authorities in Belgium, she indicated.

However, the delegation was denied entry in the last minute when the Israeli authorities refused to give them a pass to enter, recounts the parliamentarian.

Gwenaëlle Grovonius finds it “an unacceptable abuse of power”. Gaza is not “part of Israel, it is therefore unacceptable that the Israeli authorities take the law upon themselves and refuse an official foreign delegation access”, she specifies.

The socialist deputy questions the underlying motives behind the refusal. “What is being hidden, if not the deplorable humanitarian condition that Gaza finds itself in since the destructive military operation carried out by Israel in 2014?” she asks rhetorically.

Gwenaëlle Grovonius says that she will not hesitate to ask the Belgian foreign minister Didier Reynders to intervene on the matter.

Christopher Vincent (Source: Belga)