The joint delegation of MEPs from the foreign affairs, development and budgets committees, together with the chairs of the working group on the Middle East and of the interparliamentary delegation for relations with the Palestinian Legislative Council, will travel to the Middle East next week.

The mission includes a series of top-level meetings with Israeli and Palestinian politicians, parliamentarians and NGOs. MEPs will also participate in field visits to Ramallah, Nablus, East Jerusalem and Gaza.

The delegation has protested against the Israeli authorities' decision to deny access to the Gaza strip. MEPs have dismissed Israeli concerns that their visit to Gaza would confer legitimacy on Hamas. MEPs stress that the purpose of the visit is purely to look at EU-funded reconstruction efforts and assess the activities of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in the area. Part of the delegation will therefore travel to Egypt and enter Gaza via the Rafah crossing.

List of participating MEPs

Committee on Foreign Affairs (5 MEPs)

Véronique DE KEYSER (S&D, BE) (only Gaza)

Wolfgang KREISSL-DÖRFLER (S&D, DE)

Pier Antonio PANZERI (S&D, IT)

Marielle DE SARNEZ (ALDE, FR)

Nicole KIIL-NIELSEN (Greens/EFA, FR)

Committee on Development (4)

Eva JOLY, (Greens/EFA, FR), chair

Michèle STRIFFLER (EPP, FR)

Corina CREŢU (S&D, RO)

Ivo VAJGL (ALDE, SL)

Committee on Budgets (4)

Alain LAMASSOURE (EPP, FR), chair

Göran FÄRM (S&D, SV)

Ivailo KALFIN (S&D, BG)

Lajos BOKROS (ECR, HU)

Delegation for the relations with the Palestinian Legislative Council (1)

Proinsias DE ROSSA (S&D, IE), chair

Working Group on the Middle East (1)

Hans–Gert PÖTTERING (EPP, DE), chair of EP Working Group on the Middle East