NORTH West MEP and Member of the European Foreign Affairs Committee, Afzal Khan MEP, has urged the EU to get more involved in the Middle East peace process.

In a speech he said: “What is shocking is the little influence we in the EU have been able to yield, despite the fact that we are Israel's largest trading partner, and Palestine’s largest aid donor.”

Mr Khan called on the EU to place a number of demands on Israel, amongst them being to open Gaza’s borders and to halt its illegal settlements, which, he said, ‘are currently undermining the two-state solution’.

He also urged that Israel be called to account for its actions in Gaza pushing for an investigation of war crimes and said ‘if need be, consider imposing sanctions against Israel as we have done against Russia’.