Editorial Note: The following news reports are summaries from original sources. They may also include corrections of Arabic names and political terminology. Comments are in parentheses.

 

Lifeline 5 Viva Palestina Aid Convoy Enter Besieged Gaza Strip from Egypt

October 21, 2010

Lifeline 5 cracks Israeli blockade by entering Gaza

by Fares Akram, Emad Drimly

GAZA, Oct. 21, 2010 (Xinhua) --

Lifeline 5 aid convoy has added another crack to the Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip by entering the enclave on Thursday, pro-Palestinian activists said.

The mission has made "a real victory" by arriving smoothly in Gaza with the "symbolic" aid, said Kevin Ovenden, a member of the London-based Viva Palestina organization that sponsored the convoy.

The convoy, made up of more than 140 vehicles loaded with some 500 tons of medical and food supplies, and escorted by some 400 pro-Palestinian activists, entered the Gaza Strip on Thursday, several hours after it docked in Egypt's Mediterranean port of El- Arish.

The blockade that Israel has imposed on Gaza since 2007 "has been politically collapsing," Ovenden said, referring to an international outcry against the sanctions. The criticism mounted when Israeli commando forces killed nine activists on a Gaza-bound flotilla in May.

Officials from the Islamic Hamas movement were at the Rafah crossing point, welcoming the convoy which carries aid worth 5 million U.S. dollars.

The nearly 400 campaigners and the crowd that welcomed them chanted slogans greeting George Galloway, the former British lawmaker who sponsors the convoy. Egypt barred Galloway from entering its territories due to violent confrontations that happened when a previous convoy was passing.

The convoy started its journey from London on Sept. 18. A ship had picked the aid from Syria and docked in Egypt. The campaigners said the majority of the aid was on the ship and needs at least two days to unload.

The peaceful arrival of the activists drew attention to the Israeli blockade again, since Israel notably eased the sanctions following its attack on the Turkish-led flotilla, demonstrations against the blockade have almost disappeared in Gaza.

Among the goods that Israel recently allowed into Gaza are cars, household items and food, but construction materials are stilled barred.

Ahmed Yousef, a Hamas official, said Israel's relaxation of blockade "was untrue," calling for more international and civilian attempts to challenge the closure.

Meanwhile, the campaigners promised to send more missions to Gaza till the blockade is broken completely.

Mohammed Sawalha, another activist, said another flotilla, bigger than the mission in May, would sail to Gaza within few months.

Editor: yan

Artery Of Life Makes It Into Gaza

Friday October 22, 2010 06:08 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Participants of the Artery of Life (Viva Palestina 5) solidarity convoy managed to enter the Gaza Strip on Thursday afternoon via the Rafah Border Terminal between the Gaza Strip and Egypt.

The humanitarian and medical supplies aboard trucks and vans carried by the convoy will be sent to Gaza via the Rafah Terminal and the Al Oja Terminal most likely on this Saturday or Sunday.

Thousands of residents chanted slogans and welcomed activists who accompanied the supplies for slamming Israel’s illegal siege on Gaza.

One of the activists said, “After a long five week trip, we managed to enter Gaza," and added, “Gaza deserves support and all sorts of respect and solidarity.” He said that he would be willing to return to Gaza with another flotilla.

“Next time we will return in thousands, not in hundreds,” he added. “We are willing to sacrifice for Palestine.”

In order to facilitate the entry of the activists and the supplies, Qatar aligned with Egypt.

The Artery of Life was supposed to sail from Syria to Egypt last Monday, but several complications and obstacles had occurred during talks with the Egyptian authorities.

Qatar paid the expenses of some flights while Syria also intervened to ensure all activists and supplies make it into the besieged Gaza Strip.

The convoy carries 140 vehicles and trucks filled with humanitarian and medical supplies.

Lifeline 5 lands in El-Arish en route to Gaza

[ 21/10/2010 - 11:26 AM ]

EL-ARISH, (PIC)--

The first batch of activists on the Lifeline 5 convoy arrived Wednesday night at the El-Arish airport in Egypt in their last stop before heading out to the Gaza Strip to deliver humanitarian aid.

MENA news agency reported Wednesday that the first group of 155 activists was waiting to unite with another set of convoy members, with whom they would spend the night in El-Arish in wait for the cargo ship carrying the humanitarian aid set to anchor at the El Arish port later tonight.

Official Lifeline 5 spokesman Zahir Al Beirawi said he was happy with Egypt’s decision to allow the convoy’s activists to travel by air to El Arish.

Informed by Egypt’s ambassador to Damascus Shawki Ismail, he said the decision had a very positive impact on the convoy members.

The Gaza-bound Lifeline 5 convoy left the Syrian port of Lattakia with delays due to poor weather conditions.

Exclusive sources told the PIC earlier that the state of Syria intervened with Cairo at the last minute to see the convoy’s entry into El Arish.

Lifeline 5 departed from the British capital of London on Sept. 12 and landed in Syria on Oct. 2 through the Bab Al-Hawa border crossing with Turkey. It consists of 43 trucks, 85 activists, and humanitarian aid contributed to the Gaza Strip by Europeans and Turks.

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