Gaza convoy stopped in Egypt

A convoy of humanitarian aid from the US, including 47 vehicles, tons of medical supplies, and 120 caravan participants, has been stopped by Egyptian authorities at the Suez Canal. The aid convoy is the second one organized by British Parliament Member George Galloway – the first successfully brought aid via a truck convoy from the United Kingdom earlier this year.On Sunday, Egyptian authorities stopped the caravan at the Suez Canal, separating mainland Egypt from the Sinai Peninsula – where the caravan must travel in order to enter Gaza through the closed and blockaded Rafah border crossing. The members of the caravan were forced to sleep overnight in their buses, and told that they did not have the proper documentation authorized by Egyptian authorities – despite the fact that the caravan had sent copious documentation as requested by several Egyptian officials prior to their arrival in Egypt.

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.

New York City Councilmember Charles Barron, who led the group at the Suez Canal, says, “Whether these new requirements are genuine or not, we will get around these obstacles. We are going to Gaza.”

George Galloway was interviewed on Al Jazeera television Monday night and emphasized the convoy’s determination to bring medical aid to Gaza. In an interview prior to the broadcast, he said, “If the Egyptian authorities want us to jump through yet another hoop, we will, even though their ambassadors in Washington, DC, London, and Tripoli, Libya were already supplied with this information, at their request. The U.S. embassy in Cairo was informed about the mission as was the Egyptian Foreign Ministry.

“So now we expect that there should be no further reasons for the delayed transportation of this urgently needed relief to the people of Gaza. We have hundreds of thousands of dollars of medicine, which are time-sensitive and perishable and which need to reach the children of Gaza.”

Another group of Viva Palestina delegates is in Alexandria to take possession of 47 vehicles that will be used to drive the group’s humanitarian and medical relief supplies through the Rafah border crossing. A third Viva Palestina element is continuing to gather additional aid in Cairo.

The movement says they plan to cross into Gaza on Wednesday, but asked supporters to call the Egyptian and US authorities to urge the passage of the humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza.

Help keep Expat Cairo independent. If you value our services any contribution towards our costs would be greatly appreciated.