(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) BRUSSELS, Feb 15 (KUNA) -- The chair of the Delegation for relations with Palestine in the European Parliament Manu Pineda Wednesday condemned an Israeli ban on him to visit Gaza as part of an EP Delegation.
Pineda told a press conference in Strasbourg that Israel blocked his entry for the second time because 'I am president of the Delegation for relations with Palestine.' Last May he was also banned by Israel from visiting Gaza.
The Spanish MEP condemned the decision as 'completely unacceptable' and stressd that the European Parliament 'cannot accept this and there should be a strong response from the Parliament.'
Pineda said Israel gets a big chunk of money from the EU for various projects and added that he will ask the EP president Roberta Metsola to take reciprocal measures and not allow any Israeli official or diplomatic representative to visit the EP.
He noted that since 2011, EP delegations have not been allowed into the Gaza strip to look at the Israeli destruction caused by the bombardments there.
MEPs of the European Parliamentآ's delegation for relations with Palestine are set to travel to the West Bank and Gaza during an official visit from 20-24 February.
Pineda said the visit of the rest of the Delegation will go ahead and be led by two deputy chairs of the Delegation.
The European Parliament is meeting this week in the French city of Strasbourg. (end)
nk.mt
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