Viva Palestina Arrives in Gaza - 15 Jul 2009

Viva Palestina Arrives in Gaza - 15 Jul 2009

The crew was allowed in for 24 hours. However, aid supplies will stay at the Egyptian side of the borders as the Egyptian regime insists the convoy must enter through the Israeli crossing Karm Abu Salem [Kerem Shalom].

Related Items:
Media sources: Egypt stop Viva Palestina aid convey from entering Gaza
Wednesday July 15, 2009 16:59 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News

The Egyptian Authorities stopped trucks of the Viva Palestina aid convoy from entering the Gaza Strip and allowed the crew 24 hours access.

The Palestinian Information Center reported that the crew will be allowed into the Gaza Strip for only 24 hours and the aid supplies will stay at the Egyptian side of the borders.

The Viva Palestina arrived to Egypt on Sunday. On Monday, the caravan members were met by British MP George Galloway, who organized the aid campaign, and US former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, who was deported from Israel last Wednesday while attempting to bring several tons of aid to Gaza by boat.

The convoy of humanitarian aid from the U.S includes 47 vehicles, tons of medical supplies, and 120 caravan participants. The aid convoy is the second organized by British Parliament Member George Galloway the first successfully brought aid via a truck convoy from the United Kingdom earlier this year.


Yesterday July 14, 2009 the Viva Palestina site issued the following Press Release:
Press Advisory from Viva Palestina
from Viva Palestina US
July 14, 2009, 11 pm, Cairo

The Viva Palestina US caravan has received a permit to allow the group passage through the Rafah gate and into Gaza after spending 10 days in Cairo trying to overcome a series of bureaucratic delays.

The American convoy is mobilizing to carry busloads of supplies to the people of Gaza on Wednesday, July 15, and expects no further delays to their humanitarian mission because the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had already confirmed that all 200 delegates have satisfied all technical requirements required for travel.

Weeks ago, the Viva Palestina US convoy received assurances from Egyptian diplomats that they would expedite the delivery of a convoy of trucks, medical and relief supplies and American human rights volunteers into Gaza, but restrictions were then imposed on the initial Viva Palestina plan.

“We are now on our way to complete our humanitarian mission, more determined than ever and stronger in heart than when we entered Egypt,” says George Galloway, British Member of Parliament. “We now look forward to seeing in a matter of hours the faces of the besieged people of Gaza.”

This is a victory for the people of Gaza. We were determined not to be denied in bringing humanitarian aid to the children of Gaza. The silence of the world is deafening as the people of Gaza suffer, but the two hundred Americans and over one million dollars worth of aide that is going through confirms our commitment to a free Palestine. Long live the people of Palestine.

———-

In Arabic بالعربية

بيان صادر عن قافلة تحيا فلسطين

14 تموز 2009، الساعة 11 بتوقيت القاهرة

لقد أستلمت قافلةViva Palestina (تحيا فلسطين) تصريحا يسمح لأعضائها بالتحرك باتجاه معبر رفح و السماح لهم دخول غزة، بعد 10 أيام من التأخير و الانتظار في القاهرة لاتمام بعض الروتين الحكومي.

القافلة الامريكية ستتحرك يوم الاربعاء الموافق 15 من تموز في باصات محملة بمواد طبية. ولا تتوقع القافلة أن يتم تأخير هذه المهمة الانسانية البحتة بعد الان لأن وزير الخارجية قد صرح أن اعضاء القافلة المئتين قد أكملوا جميع المتطلبات التقنية للسماح لهم للسفر الى غزة.

لقد تلقت القافلة في الاسابيع السابقة تطمينات من دبلوماسين مصريين بتسريع دخول القافلة بما تملكه من شاحنات و مواد طيبية و اغاثية الى غزة و السماح للمتطوعين الامريكين بالدخول الى غزة، و لكن تم وضع الكثير من القيود على القافلة عند قدومها لمصر.

حيث قال جورج جالوي “اننا الأن في طريقنا لاكمال مهمتنا الانسانية، و عزيمتنا الان اقوى مما كانت عليه عند دخولنا لمصر”، و اضاف العضو في البرلمان البريطاني “اننا الان ننتظر الساعات القادمة لنرى وجوه اهل غزة المحاصرين”.

هذا انتصار لأهل غزة. و نحن كلنا عزيمة لنوصل المساعدات الانسانية لاطفال غزة. و في الوقت الذي يسكت العالم بأسره على هذا الحصار الظالم لغزة الا ان اعضاء القافلة الامريكية و ما يحملوه من مساعدات انسانية مقدرة بمليون دولار تثبت حرصها على تحرير فلسطين. تحيا فلسطين و شعب فلسطين





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