Jean Arthuis (ALDE, FR), Chair of the Committee on Budgets, travelled on Tuesday to the Gaza Strip. He visited EU-funded projects aimed at promoting sustainable economic development and empowerment of women as well as infrastructure projects in the water sector, such as the North Gaza Emergency Sewage Treatment Plant NGEST and recently inaugurated Water Desalination Plant in Deir Bala, next to Khan Yunis.
Mr Arthuis met with a number of beneficiaries of the projects, with members of developmental and humanitarian agencies, implementing these projects, and representatives of civil society.
“I am very impressed by the unabated spirit of resilience of the people of Gaza and I am very touched by their hope for a better future, despite their currently dire situation”, declared Mr Arthuis on the occasion of his visit. “We owe it to the people of Gaza to continue to do our utmost to improve the situation there. The people of Gaza have the right to live in freedom and peace and to work for a better, prosperous future for themselves and their children. For me, this goes hand in hand with respecting Israel’s legitimate security interests.”
Mr Arthuis, the first Member of the European Parliament to visit Gaza since 2011, had been mandated to visit the Gaza Strip by Martin Schulz, the President of the European Parliament. He is also holding meetings in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Ramallah and carrying out field visits in South Israel and the West Bank.
