09/05/2007 (Agence Europe) - Kyrinacos Triantaphyllides (GUE/NGL, Cyprus), who headed a European Parliament mission in Palestine from 29 April-3 May, presented his delegation's conclusions to the EP foreign affairs committee on Tuesday. He called for the political and economic embargo, that has been in place since the Hamas victory at the legislative elections in January 2006, to be lifted. Suspension of direct aid to the Palestinian government has led to paralysis of the Palestinian territories, the members of the group said. In their opinion, the EU should resume direct aid to the Palestinian Authority and put an end to the Temporary International Mechanism (TIM) created at the request of the Quartet. Palestinian Prime Minister Ismaïl Haniyeh (Hamas), whom the group of MEPs met despite the EU's decision not to deal with Hamas members, affirmed, according to Mr Triantaphyllides, that the formation of a Palestinian national unity government must result in lifting of the embargo as, Haniyeh states, it meets the conditions set by the Quartet. The European delegation also spoke of the situation of the 11,000 Palestinian prisoners that include Aziz Dweik, President of the Palestinian Legislative Council (Parliament), and Marwan Barghouthi, the young, charismatic leader of the West Bank. MEPs also called for the release of the Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, and of BBC journalist Alan Johnston. (fb)