Israel bars german Minister from Gaza

Haaretz,  21st July 2010

According to the newspaper, a motion opposing Israel's blockade of Gaza had the support of Chancellor Angela Merkel's government coalition parties, as well as the opposition Social Democrats (SPD) and the Green Party.

"The living conditions for the civil population in Gaza must urgently be improved," the motion reportedly stated.

"Israel's Gaza blockade is effectively a blockade of the United Nations," the Greens' foreign spokeswoman Kerstin Mueller told the Sueddeutsche Zeitung, adding: "This is unacceptable." Mueller said Israel had to give the United Nations sea access to Gaza, so aid could be delivered "quickly and unbureaucratically."

The motion reportedly calls upon the EU's foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton to facilitate negotiations between Israel and the UN.

 

Haaretz zu interfraktionellem Gaza-Antrag (in englisch)