#3 HOPE CONVOY DIARIES~Khan Younis, Nasser

We next visited, Khan Younis, a town south of Gaza city. Here we visited Nasser Hospital, the main one for the south of Gaza Strip to deliver more medical materials.

Convoy Delegation tours hospital with Doctor, Pictured below are Italian Senator Fernando Rossi and Monia Benini and others:
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Monia Benini delivers water purification device from Italy
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Here we saw advanced medical equipment that cannot be used because the Israelis will not allow spare parts in to bring them back online. We saw patients receiving dialysis who could only get 2 hours sessions at a time which was not enough to clean their systems and so they never felt well and did not benefit as they should.

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The doctor said to me “It is the best we can do we have to share the access but we need to give them 4 hour sessions at least – we are only slowing the poison”.

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So, these people have to live their lives being permanently poisoned with toxins, because the dialysis machines cannot be repaired, Israel will not allow the parts into Gaza.

The mammography machines are inoperative because parts have failed and replacements are not allowed in by the Israeli blockade. The CT scanner’s tube is operating at twice its recommended life and they are hoping and praying every time they use that it will last a little bit longer. When it fails – there will be no scanner unless the Israeli siege is lifted.

Doctor pictured with Fernando Rossi and Gerry MacLochlainn. Photo taken looking through the scanner. This scanner will stop working any moment now. Once that happens there will be no way to treat people. This is a criminal act by Israel.



We then continued our tour followed by an award ceremony for a very special Doctor, also we were each presented with a special Palestinian scarf as a "Thank You" from the Doctors and the Hospital Staff for bringing much needed aid to the suffering people.

Photos of Awards Ceremony and Scarf Presentation:

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While the aid we delivered was very much needed, it is truly only a drop in the bucket. We finished with a press conference, pictured below:

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End of Nasser Hospital Diary. I should have HOPE DIARY #4 up later today where the convoy visited the main Rehabilitation Trauma center. This is truly a heart breaking story and will have many photos. This hospital was bombed by the Israelis, not once, but twice! A young boy waits to die because he cannot get treatment, thanks to the siege on Gaza. Another war crime.

#6 VICTORY FOR HOPE CONVOY

UPDATED x1 SEE MY LATEST POST HERE
SPREAD THE WORD~~~~THE SIEGE IS BROKEN~~~~ THEY ARE INSIDE GAZA NOW!

VIVA PALESTINE FREE GAZA


After a very long day of talks and negotiations, starting from the point of not allowing anyone entry, and no aid entering, we now have a deal.

Egyptians authorities have now agreed to allow 20 convoy members into Gaza along with all the humanitarian aid and vehicles. So, that means the aid will get in, a victory for the convoy and for Gaza.

I do know that the Politicians will be part of the 20 going in and the others I believe are Palestinians who want to see their families and homes, and rightly so I say. One disabled Palestinian child in a wheelchair cried yesterday when his passport was stamped. My heart breaks for him, but I would imagine he will be part of the 20 going in. Bless him.

Obviously it is 8:30PM now in Egypt and getting dark and late, so I assume the 20 and the aid vehicles will cross in the morning, although I will get confirmation of that later, I forgot to ask LOL!!

Lastly, as soon as they get inside and have internet access I will have loads of photos to post here as well.

VIVA PALESTINE
FREE GAZA
BREAK THE SIEGE

#8 (UPDATED X1)GAZA HOPE CONVOY~ OPEN THE DAMN GATE

(post update x1 NOTE, there will be no more updates tonight, the convoy members are down for the night)
I have a few very important things to get out immediately. First most importantly, PRESSTV has a FALSE report on their website claiming this:

UK MPs on hunger strike over no Gaza entry

A group of British lawmakers en-route to the Gaza Strip have gone on a hunger strike after Egypt prevented their aid convoy from entering the besieged sliver.

The Convoy of Hope was expected to cross the Rafah border-crossing on Saturday, but reports say that Egyptian authorities have delayed its entry to the territory.

THIS REPORT IS 100% FALSE, they have confused the Doctors on Hungerstrike (who have been in Egypt since 5th of May) with the "Hope" Convoy members. I have verified this report via a friend who spoke directly to the Deputy Leader of the convoy himself. So it is false.

Next, what PRESSTV reports are the following issues, which I will address:

The 40-truck convoy carrying humanitarian aid, led by at least 150 people including European lawmakers was set to deliver to Gazans medical aids, wheel chairs and programs enabling the visually disabled to use computers.

Cairo however denied them entry, saying that only 20 people, minus aids, are allowed to cross Rafah -- Gaza's only border that bypasses Israel.

Ok, firstly there are not 120 people on this convoy, there are 98 people and 39 trucks. That's almost two people per truck if you minus the Politicians and the disabled people on the convoy. So, all those members are needed to take those trucks through the crossing and into Gaza to deliver that aid to those who are desperate for it.

Egypt approved them all, and then stamped their approval stamp onto every single convoy members passport earlier today,which allows them to leave Egypt. Then all that was left to do was for Egypt to open the last gate to Gaza. The convoy members were only 50 metres from Gaza. However, they then sat there and waited for ages, then there were reports circulating that only a "smaller" number of members would be allowed though. This is NOT due to any "security" issues, as all have been approved and already had their passports stamped to leave the country, as I stated.

The initial number began at 10, negotiations, discussions and meetings ensued, then it was raised to 20 members only. Still, no where near enough to drive the aid into Gaza, given the fact that there are 39 trucks as mentioned. This was, and still is, unacceptable to the Convoy group. The aid must get into Gaza, that is the purpose of the convoy.

The Egyptians then offered to take the convoy members back to Al Arish for the night; as it was by this time close to 6PM Egypt time and people were not getting anywhere. The convoy members refused this offer after a meeting and decided to stay exactly where they were at the border alongside the convoy vehicles. About an hour ago I was told that the Egyptians were clearing a Mosque so that the women and disabled people could get some rest tonight, The men will remain with the vehicles all night long.

PRESSTV did make an attempt to do a live interview with Gerry MacLochlainn the deputy leader and Sinn Fein representative and other members including Fernando Rossi, which I watched on television. However, the mobile phone connection was not that good and the interview was short. However, what he said was just what I stated above in this update.

I do not know what this meeting is for, or about at this time. But, I expect to have more news at some point this evening. Sorry, see update at beginning, no more updates tonight, convoy is down for the night.

In a word, this sucks.
Egypt needs to open that damn gate now!

#5 GAZA HOPE CONVOY UPDATE SUNDAY 24 MAY

Just had a quick phonecall. The convoy members are having their passports stamped as I write this. Things are moving quickly. They are 500 yards from Gaza, people are getting excited. I could hardly hear my friend on the phone there ws so much excitement and carry on in the background. I am told people are taking photos of each other getting their passports stamped:)

So it should not be very long now before they cross into Gaza. Once inside there will be a press conference organised by the Government, at which time the Italian MP Fernando Rossi, the leader of the convoy, will speak alongside members of the government and convoy organisers. For those interested in our Irish Representative Clr Gerry MacLochlainn, the Deputy leader of the convoy, he will be doing an interview shortly after the one mentioned above with Rossi et al. Keep watch on Aljazeera or Presstv today for those live interviews.

I expect a phonecall the moment they touch Palestinian soil. I will rejoice for them, but I know I will have tears as well. I expected to be alongside them at this historic moment. To breathe Palestinian air, to hold Palestinian soil in my hand, to kiss the ground of Palestine,to witness the strength and undying spirit of the people,to tell them we will never forget, we will never give up, and we will never stop fighting for their freedom and rights.

as we once said for Ireland "Tiocfaidh ár lá "

we now say "Tiocfaidh ár lá " for Palestine

"Our Day Will Come"