UK Greens MEP Jean Lambert has backed calls for a suspension of the EU-Israel trade agreement.
Addressing an event in parliament on Tuesday, Lambert said such a move would "send a strong signal that the EU wants peace in the Middle East."
"We need to end this cycle of violence and this is one way of achieving that," she declared.
The London deputy jointly organised a hearing in parliament which was presented with a petition, signed by over 15,000 people, which calls for an immediate suspension of the EU-Israel association agreement.
The petition was presented by a group of young people who had cycled the 200km from the European court of justice in The Hague to Brussels.
The so-called Peace Cycle, a British voluntary organisation, has in the past also organised cycle rides from Amman to Jerusalem.
Lambert told the meeting, "This is a new initiative, involving mostly young people, who, as I do, are calling on the EU to use its influence to help push forward the peace process.
"Suspension of the agreement would send a strong signal that the EU is serious about wanting peace in the Middle East.
"It is time to hold Israel to account for the current situation in Gaza."
One of the cyclists, who declined to be named, said, "We witnessed a number of violations of human rights during our time spent in the region and believe it is time something was done to highlight the lack of action by the EU against Israel’s continued breaches of human rights."
An Israeli source in Brussels pointed out that its military action in Gaza over the Christmas period was taken in retaliation against "continued and systematic" attacks on its territory.
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