Asia aid convoy arrives in Gaza

[ 03/01/2011 - 10:17 AM ]

GAZA, (PIC)--

Members of Asia aid convoy arrived late on Sunday evening in the besieged Gaza Strip after the Egyptian authorities allowed them to cross through the Rafah border terminal.

The government committee for breaking the siege and receiving delegations said 120 out of 180 activists participating in the convoy were allowed in and would stay in Gaza until next Thursday.

The convoy consists of eight trucks and four ambulances loaded with 1, 000 ton of medical supplies, clothing, baby milk, and appliances for people with special needs.

It is considered the first Asian convoy that breaks Gaza siege and its members are academics, journalists, lawyers, university students and representatives of civil organizations from different religions.

The government committee also said it received a telephone call from the secretary-general of the standing committee for the support of the Palestinian people in Libya who told it that the Libyan aid convoy Al-Quds 5 would arrive at the Egyptian port of Arish next Tuesday.

The committee stated that the Libyan leadership headed by president Muammar Al-Gaddafi and his people would keep standing by the Palestinian people until Israel ends its blockade on Gaza and its occupation of Palestine.

Asia 1 Makes It Into Gaza

Monday January 03, 2011 09:01 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

The Asia 1 solidarity convoy managed to enter the Gaza Strip late on Sunday at night to deliver humanitarian and medical supplies to the residents of the besieged coastal region.

The convoy arrived at the Al Arish Egyptian port, and after negotiations and deliberations, the Egyptian Authorities allowed the 112 activists, who accompanied the convoy to enter Gaza.

But the Egyptian Authorities excluded the Iranian and the Jordanian activists, and allowed the rest through.

The convoy arrived at the Al Arish Port on Sunday and the Egyptian Authorities decided that it can enter Gaza on Monday morning.

The activists carried 300 Tons of medical and food supplies that would be delivered in Gaza.

The convoy started its trip on December 2 from Delhi, India, but the Pakistani Authorities refused to allow it through, an issue that forced convoy organizers to head back to India before flying to Iran, then to Syria before heading to Egypt.

Convoy organizers were warmly received by thousands of residents in Gaza while several Palestinian factions also welcomed the activists and thanked them for their support.

The Islamic Jihad movement issued a statement saying that solidarity ships, especially amidst ongoing Israeli oppression, are a message of solidarity to the Palestinian people and their struggle against the occupation.

Egyptian clearance for Gaza aid convoy from India

Sunday 02 January, 2011.

Egypt has given clearance to a Gaza aid convoy, which started from India last month and has a strong Indian contingent, to dock at the Egyptian port town of El-Arish and enter the coastal strip from Rafah, a media report said Saturday.

Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram reported that Palestinian lawmaker, Khaled Abdel Mejid, was informed by the Egyptian embassy in Damascus about the decision to allow 120 activists to go through, with another 46 from Iran and Jordan denied entry.
 
Some of the aid material in the cargo was also barred, including 10 generators donated by Iran, decreasing the size of the humanitarian aid convoy to below 300 tonnes.
 
The 'Asia to Gaza Caravan' consists of activists from more than 15 Asian countries, including India, Iran, Japan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Malaysia, New Zealand and Kuwait.
 
It was scheduled to reach Gaza by 27th December, in time for the second anniversary of Israel's 22-day offensive against Islamist Hamas regime that started on 28th December 2008.
 
Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip since June 2007 when it vanquished forces loyal to the Palestinian Authority (PA) in pitched battles, claimed that Israel's offensive left more than 1,300 casualties, many of them women and children, besides leaving a trail of irreparable destruction.
 
The Asia to Gaza convoy, which took off from New Delhi on 2nd December, is currently stuck in Latakia, Syria. The convoys Twitter account had earlier posted an information that Egypt granted entry visas to Indian and Indonesian activists, but without permission to cross into Gaza. (HS-01/01)
 
 
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