A FIRSTHAND account of the plight of the Palestinian community in the West Bank was given to a North-East audience.

Charitable trust worker, peace activist and Ramallah resident Hadeel Qazzaz is in the region on a week-long speaking tour of the country.

She was invited to Britain by an Oxford support organisation, but for Thursday's engagement in the North-East, she was the guest of the County Durham branch of the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign.

Ms Qazzaz raised the issue of the impact of the wall being built by Israel in the West Bank, on the premise that they are trying to stop suicide bombers.

The International Court of Justice is looking into the legality of the barrier, following concern raised at the UN.

While the court's findings are awaited, Ms Qazzaz said that whatever the outcome, it will not be binding on Israel to change its plan.

Ms Qazzaz said 180km of the 730km barrier was now in place, dividing Palestinian communities the same way the Berlin Wall did.

She said: "It will circulate all densely populated areas, cutting off all unoccupied land from existing settlements and create scattered communities and ghettoes without any economy."

Ms Qazzaz, who has travelled widely round the world on speaking engagements, said she had difficulty visiting members of her family short distances away because of restrictions imposed by Israelis.

* The Palestinian Solidarity Campaign meets at Nevilles Cross Social Club, on the outskirts of Durham, at 8pm on Tuesday. All are welcome.