Former Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams held talks with slain Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh 15 years ago.
In April 2009, the then West Belfast MP met the Mr Haniyeh, at the time the Palestinian Authority government’s prime minister, during a five-day visit to the region.
Mr Adams compiled an extensive report on his visit to Israel, Gaza and the West Bank.
In the report, he characterised Gaza as an “open-air prison” and called for an end to the Israeli blockade on building materials.
“This is a total denial of the rights of the people of Palestine. This is an open-air prison,” he said. “People can’t travel out of here, they can’t travel in.”
The visit came months after Israel launched an offensive in what it said was retaliation for daily Hamas rocket attacks.
Mr Adams said the border crossing from Israel into Gaza “was distinctly like being back in prison ... You had to go through airlocked areas and so on”.
“It is the human problem because when you speak to ordinary decent working people on the Israeli side hit by the rocket attacks ... the ordinary people of Israel didn’t cause the problem.”
The republican leader described a scene of devastation, ruined hospitals, schools and homes, and said he urged peace on the Hamas leadership.
“There should be a complete cessation of hostilities by all sides and I stressed our opinion that dialogue is central to what’s required and that is the only way forward,” he said.
