As Road to Hope aid convoy prepare to sail again for Gaza before Rafah crossing closed, European campaign urges Egypt to facilitate entry of Hope aid to Gaza

European campaign urges Egypt to facilitate entry of Hope aid to Gaza

[ 14/11/2010 - 04:59 PM ]

BRUSSELS, (PIC)-- The European campaign to lift the siege on the Gaza Strip has appealed to the Egyptian concerned authorities to facilitate the entry of the European Hope aid convoy to the Gaza Strip before Eid Al-Adha.

The Brussels-based campaign appealed in a press release on Sunday to all concerned authorities including the Egyptian, Libyan, and Greek authorities to facilitate the entry of the humanitarian aid into Gaza, especially when it was stranded at the Libyan-Egyptian borders for a month.

It asked Cairo not to close the Rafah border terminal on the Eid holiday and allow entry of the convoy, pointing out that Gaza was in dire need of assistance carried by such aid convoys.

"The aim of the aid convoys is to help the besieged Palestinians and break the oppressive siege imposed on them for the fifth year running", the campaign said, adding that such an aim should be appreciated.

The Egyptian authorities announced that the Rafah border crossing with Gaza would be closed as of Monday till next Sunday throughout the Eid holiday, which meant that no aid would be allowed into the Strip during those days.

Road to Hope aid convoy to sail again for Gaza before Rafah crossing closed

[ 13/11/2010 - 02:18 PM ]

LONDON, (PIC)-- The European Road to Hope aid convoy destined for the besieged Gaza Strip is getting prepared to sail once again for the port of Al-Arish before the Egyptian authorities close the Rafah border crossing for six day as of next Monday.

A Libyan participant in the convoy said the activists stranded at the Egyptian-Libyan borders will take a new cargo ship called Nuweiba during the next few hours in an attempt to cross into Gaza with the aid after the previous ship they were aboard was hijacked by its own Greek captain who sailed it to Greece before he fled in a small boat.

Nine participants in the convoy and four Libyan customs officers, as well as a small part of the aid which was not unloaded at Libyan ports were still on board the ship when it was hijacked.

The Libyan officers are currently in their embassy in Greece and the nine activists, five Brits, two Americans, and two from Morocco and Algeria, will fly to Libya to join the other participants in the convoy before they sail together along with the aid for Al-Arish seaport.

105 multinational activists have stayed at the Egyptian-Libyan borders since October 25 waiting to be allowed into Egypt by land, but the Egyptian authorities insisted the aid convoy enter Gaza by sea, and what added insult to injury that the ship they were hired was hijacked and taken to Greece.

River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian