Sinn Fein Representatives Padraic Wilson-Director International Relations, Pat Sheehan and Raymond McCartney with Khaled Meshal, Head of Hamas Political Committee.
Since the Israeli invasion of Gaza last year the Israeli government has continued to impose a blockage on the people of Gaza. Despite the call of humanitarian intervention the international community as remained silent. Sinn Fein has been to the fore of ensuring that as much international attention and solidarity is brought to the situation and the people of Palestine and in particular, Gaza.
In February the Sinn Fein Ard Fheis brought forward an emergency motion calling for an immediate and to the intolerable blockade of the Gaza strip and the brutal isolation of its people, expressing its solidarity with the people of Palestine and with the people of Gaza strip in particular; demanding that freedom of movement be returned to Gazans as a matter of right and calling on the international community to act together to force and end to Israel’s inhumane and indiscriminate punishment of Palestinians.
In April 2009, Sinn Fein Party President, Gerry Adams, led a delegation to Gaza. He has written a report which he has distributed among the international community, including George Mitchell, US Peace Envoy to the Middle East.
The Party had initiated a new sub-Group within its International Department which includes Raymond McCartney, MLA and Pat Sheehan. Both have travelled to Damascus in Syria to meet with representatives of Hamas to apprise themselves fully of the situation in Gaza.
