TODAY in the European Parliament, MEPs from all parties voted overwhelmingly in favour of a special resolution on Gaza which, if implemented, could transform relations in the Middle East.

Speaking from Brussels immediately after the vote, local Conservative MEP Philip Bushill-Matthews said: "The vote today called for humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip to be immediate and unconditional.

"It also called for UN agencies to be freed up to complete their work and for the blockade of the Gaza Strip to be ended forthwith.

"The resolution was supported by 488 out of 512 MEPs present and our hope now is that this mass display of unity will send a clear signal to the Palestinians that we are doing our utmost to help.

"The sufferings of the local people are unimaginable and as the largest aid donor to the area, it is right for the EU to give a clear and positive lead to the rest of the world."