Part of Czech-led EU delegation meets Hamas in Gaza in secret

A part of the EU parliamentary delegation to the Middle East, led by the bloc’s Czech presidency, reportedly met leaders of the Islamist movement Hamas during a trip to Gaza on Tuesday, Czech Television has reported. The head of the delegation, Czech MP Miloslav Vlček, originally said that no such meeting was planned. He subsequently condemned the meeting and disassociated himself from it. Hamas is currently on an EU list of terrorist organizations. According to Czech Television, four members of the EU delegation, including deputy EP chairwoman Luisa Morgantini met representatives of Hamas ‘unofficially’ while Mr Vlček was touring the Islamic University in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday. The delegation moves on to Israel on Wednesday.