Gaza City November 17, 2012 Photo: Marah Elwadia
Egyptians Activists Occupy Gaza Photo: Mahmood Abdulmonem
As Israel continues to pound Gaza for the 5th day Egyptian authorities have allowed a five bus convoy of 400 activists to enter Gaza thru the Rafah border in solidarity with Gazans under siege. This represents a radical departure from the policies of the Mubarak regime during Israel’s ’08-’09 war on Gaza.
The activists are also delivering much needed medical supplies and humanitarian aid to Al Shifaa Hospital, in Gaza, in coordination with the Egyptian Red Crescent.
“We want the free world to stop the onslaught on defenseless civilians,” said Mahmoud Ali of the Constitution Party, according to state-owned news agency MENA. “We want to relay to the steadfast Palestinian people the support of all Egyptians.”
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A five-bus convoy transporting members of several Egyptian parties and political movements arrived at the country’s Rafah border crossing with Gaza, officials said.
“We all entered through Rafah border … 100s now attempting to enter Gaza,” activist Gigi Ibrahim said on her Twitter account, according to AFP.
Thank you Annie. This a wonderful and hugely significant breakthrough. Thanks too, to the Arab Spring.
And Israel allows 170 trucks of medical supplies and food-the question is, which is more helpful?
Dimadope, Let me ask you a question. If I locked you and your family in a cage for years, should I still get a pat on the back for giving you dinner while I beat your parents to death?
Israel is the occupying power, which according to international laws requires that it provide for the occupied population. Israel has flagrantly violated international law in this regard, by instead putting Gaza under siege, causing inter alia a medical crisis where medications and equipment (not to mention electrical power, fuel and clean water) are scant.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324307204578127230963007210.html
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/13901/World/Region/Medical-supply-shortage-in-Gaza-threatens-lives-of.aspx
The amount of trucks it “allows” to enter Gaza (do you not see anything wrong with that statement in and of itself?? Israel “allows” Gaza to have food and medicine? OH WOW!) still doesn’t meet the totals of what was imported before the siege began. See the work of the NGO Gisha to compare truckloads here: http://www.gisha.org/graph.asp?lang_id=en&p_id=901
Israel should not be commended for “allowing” people to eat, especially when the supplies are still not enough, especially when Gazans wouldn’t need so much medical equipment if Israel weren’t attacking an occupied population stuck in an open-air prison with nowhere to run to, especially when Gazans wouldn’t rely so much on the goodwill of their oppressor if they were allowed to have a functioning economy, especially when t Palestinians are revolting in the first place because of ethnic cleansing, occupation, collective punishment and the denial of their basic human rights.
You are absolutely sick.
Here’s an Onion headline too good not to share:
“Israel Calls For Increase In U.S. Taxes To Fund Attacks On Gaza”
http://www.theonion.com/articles/israel-calls-for-increase-in-us-taxes-to-fund-atta,30423/
Annie, this is a gimmick but of the Arab kind this time. How many Gazans are being allowed to exit through Rafah or at least given shelter on the Egyptian side of the border?