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Sinn Féin MEPs Matt Carthy, Martina Anderson and Lynn Boylan at the Gilo settlement in the West Bank. Sinn Féin

Sinn Féin MEPs barred from entering Gaza during trip to Palestine

The group was told their visit was “not directly concerned with humanitarian assistance.”

ISRAEL HAS BLOCKED a group of 13 MEPs, including three from Sinn Féin, from entering Gaza this morning.

Martina Anderson, Lynn Boylan and Matt Carthy arrived yesterday on a four-day trip to Palestine with the European United Left/Nordic Green Left group of MEPs.

They had intended to visit Gaza, but according to a statement from GUE/NGL, all 13 were denied entry.

Northern Ireland MEP Martina Anderson said:

The Israeli government refused us, 13 MEPs from six countries, entry into Gaza on the grounds that our visit to the region is ‘not directly concerned with the provision of humanitarian assistance.’
We want to go to Gaza to assess the situation on the ground first hand.
This would have enabled us to relay that information back to the European Parliament and push for greater provision of EU humanitarian aid to Gaza and an end to the blockade and occupation.

10629578_784685324923559_5803568722086209713_n Sinn Féin MEPs Matt Carthy, Martina Anderson and Lynn Boylan at a meeting with civil society groups in Jerusalem. GUE / NGL GUE / NGL / NGL

The delegation went to Jerusalem today, meeting with civil society groups including Rabbis for Peace, Breaking the Silence and Combatants for Peace, as well as Haaretz journalist Amira Hass.

A spokesperson from the Israeli National Police did not respond to a request for comment by publication time.

Read: “Settlements are illegal” – Ireland joins chorus of condemnation of Israeli land grab>

Sinn Féin wants Ireland to stop buying Israeli-made military equipment>

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201 Comments
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    Mute Business Cat
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    Feb 7th 2016, 3:38 PM

    Where would the hacks be if there was no twitter?

    125
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    Mute Darren Norris
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    Feb 7th 2016, 9:19 PM

    I live facing the bridge, lots of helicopters etc al recording it and huge area shit down, blast lasted a second as they where stunt flames, people just being dramatic as usual

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    Mute colin
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    Feb 7th 2016, 3:57 PM

    Fuking stop with this clickbait shite

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    Mute Paul Radburn
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    Feb 7th 2016, 3:54 PM

    Another attention seeking headline

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    Mute An Observer
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    Feb 7th 2016, 3:57 PM

    Paul, could you not have realised that it was a movie stunt from the * in the headline? Seriously,I mean it was practically spoon-fed to us….

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    Mute Paul Radburn
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    Feb 7th 2016, 6:10 PM

    Oh, ok, the Brazil team were all, killed in a plane crash*

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    Mute Paul Radburn
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    Feb 7th 2016, 6:10 PM

    * means it’s not true

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    Mute Seán J. Troy
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    Feb 7th 2016, 5:03 PM

    “The Foreigner” An action packed film starring Nigel Farage blowing up buses full of Syrian refugees.

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    Mute Niall
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    Feb 7th 2016, 6:27 PM

    Sap!

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    Mute Johnneary
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    Feb 7th 2016, 11:27 PM

    The victims and the victims families of the 7/7 bombing must be disgusted with this stunt.
    Quite a sick stunt to terrorise the men, women, children and oaps of London
    and try to accustom them to being under attack by the terrorists that their (bought and paid for) government radicalise and invite in from behind the safety of the bulletproof glass installed in their ivory towers.
    Sad
    So Sad.

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    Mute Johnneary
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    Feb 8th 2016, 12:46 AM

    Video games have taken to the streets.
    Soon no one will know (or care about) the difference between a real terrorist attack and a fake one.
    How desensitised people have become.

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    Mute Thomas O' Donnell
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    Feb 7th 2016, 9:18 PM

    This whole thing has been blown out of all proportion!

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    Mute Harry Whitehead
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    Feb 7th 2016, 10:18 PM

    The outrage bus has exploded.

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    Mute Pat Gorman
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    Feb 8th 2016, 9:09 AM

    I am surprised that they had to use the real Lambeth Bridge in this day and age.
    Surely this could have been done in a film studio with the assistance of CGI (Computer Generated Imagery).
    That bus exploding would certainly have looked like a real terrorist attack to a casual unsuspecting observer.

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    Mute Pat Gorman
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    Feb 8th 2016, 9:13 AM

    P.S.
    Are the film company going to compensate the disrupted commuters?
    Pigs might fly.

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    Mute Jacqueline McMahon
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    Feb 8th 2016, 2:36 PM

    God some people just look for a way to be offended!!

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