MP Mustafa Barghouthi, the secretary-general of the Palestinian National Initiative movement, met with Director of the section of the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf in the European Union, Colin Cyclone, and European Union Representative in Palestine Ralph Terraf at the headquarters of the European Union in Jerusalem.

   During the meeting, Barghouthi explained the suffering of the hunger strikers and the nature of their humanitarian demands, stressing the need to press Israel to respond to the demands of the prisoners.

   Barghouthi presented statistical data on the situation of the prisoners in Israeli jails including three hundred children, sixty-two prisoners and five hundred administrative detainees, as well as the situation of the sick prisoners.

   Barghouthi explained the racist Israeli actions and the apartheid system imposed by Israel on the Palestinian people and the dangers of continued settlement activity in the occupied territories.

   The two sides discussed the political possibilities in the coming stage. The EU representatives stressed their support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state and their firm opposition to all settlement activities and their continued support to the Palestinian people at the developmental level.

   Barghouthi stressed the importance of Palestinian civil society institutions and their role in defending the rights of citizens and supporting their steadfastness and he called on the European Union to support efforts to end the division, form a single national government and restore all democratic components, especially free elections.