Derry politician hit with tear gas during incident in Palestine last night

A Derry politician was caught up in an incident last night during which tear gas was fired  in Palestine.

SDLP Foyle MLA Pat Ramsey is part of a delegation that has travelled to Israel and Palestine to discuss stalled peace talks.

He said he was caught up in a struggle last night between soldiers and teenagers at a checkpoint in Ramallah.

"As we approached the Palestinian capital Ramallah we noticed an altercation between Israeli soldiers and some local teenagers at an Israeli checkpoint.

"Suddenly and with no warning the unmistakable smell of tear gas filled our car and our eyes and throats started burning. We were fortunate in that we managed to get away quickly and it gave us but a small insight into what life is like today for Palestinians within Palestine.

“The Israeli government must realise that the daily checkpoints, the nightly army operations and the continuous widespread discrimination and harassment, cannot continue if we want honourable and viable two state peace negotiations to progress.

“I will be writing to the Israeli government upon my return to seek an explanation as to why tear gas was used in such a disproportionate way."