EU delegation visits Gaza to assess humanitarian situation

GAZA CITY, Palestine

A European delegation arrived in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday to assess the humanitarian situation in the blockaded territory.

"A delegation of 22 ambassadors and representatives of European Union countries arrived in Gaza on Wednesday morning," Shadi Othman, a communication officer at the European Union office, told Anadolu.

The "visit comes to view the humanitarian situation in Gaza and to visit projects funded by the European Union," he added.

According to Othman, the delegation will hold meetings with the Egyptian mission in Gaza as well as Palestinian civil society figures.

The delegation crossed into Gaza through the Beit Hanoun-Erez crossing and visited an UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) run school there upon arrival, according to an Anadolu reporter.

Home to nearly 2.3 million Palestinians, the Gaza Strip has been reeling under a years-long Israeli blockade since 2007, badly affecting livelihood in the enclave.

*Writing by Mahmoud Barakat