Plaid Cymru MEP Jill Evans has seen for herself the disruption to everyday Palestinian life. Following a meeting with the Mayor of Khan Younes, Jill Evans MEP (Plaid Cymru the Party of Wales) and other members of the European Parliamentary delegation, were travelling by coach back to Gaza City to meet members of the Palestinian Legislative Council when threy were stopped at an Israeli checkpoint.

Jill Evans said,

"The soldiers had blocked the road. We waited patiently while more and more cars and lorries arrived and in a short time there were hundreds of people standing around waiting to be allowed through. Eventually, after an hour or so and many telephone calls, a colleague and myself were allowed to walk up to the Israeli security armoured car to speak to them."

"The soldiers told us there was a security problem and there was nothing they could do. They said it would take about half an hour. Five hours later we were still there and so were the men on their way home from work, women with babies and young children, crying to go home."

"There was no food, no water and no toilet facilities. I spoke to some of the men waiting there who had been on their way home from work at 4pm but were still there at 11pm. This was not unusual. It happens regularly. For us it was only an inconvenience but for them it is a part of their everyday lives."

"It is unnecessary and is designed to disrupt and destabilise the lives of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip."

Diwedd/Ends.