#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

#7 HOPE CONVOY~TROUBLE LOOMS

Well, things are now going from bad to worse. Here is the current situation:

The convoy members and the Politicians have all gone through Egyptian security at the border, entered the compound (passed the first checkpoint and entered the compound) where they had ALL of their passports stamped and APPROVED to LEAVE Egypt. That took place 4 hours ago. Now, Despite having all their passports stamped LONG ago, the members have been sitting and waiting for hours now for the final checkpoint to be opened to Gaza. They are 50 metres from Gaza right now!

Now, the Egyptians are are not allowing them to leave Egypt, this despite, I say again, their passports ARE stamped and APPROVED to LEAVE Egypt!

Additionally, there is some "talk" now of Egypt not allowing the total number of 98 people in the Convoy, to leave and enter Gaza, I say again, after they have already had their passports stamped allowing them to LEAVE Egypt. There are 40 vehicles on this convoy and all of the members are needed to deliver this aid to Gaza.

The Egyptian authorities have offered the members the opportunity to return to Al Arish for the night, whilst this negotiation/stand off continues. And then to return to the crossing tomorrow morning. Let me be clear, the convoy WILL NOT return to Al Arish, they will remain right where they currently are, at the border, as they have come this far and have been approved to LEAVE Egypt over 4 hours ago, even though they are currently being blocked from leaving Egypt by the same authorities who stamped their passports earlier in the day.

A large number of journalists and media are there, and even they are beginning to become agitated. So I expect we will begin to see some television coverage of this very soon.

I am very tired and I hope I have been clear, however, If anyone needs clarification, or wishes to get a message to a convoy member, let me know by making a comment and I will try to help.

As things continue to progress I will keep the blog updated.

#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"

UPDATE~European Campaign to Break the Siege

Another convoy on the way to Gaza announced by the European Campaign to Break the Siege on Gaza. Reported to consist of hundreds of trucks with medical equipment. Additionally this time there will not be just one Elected Parliamentarian, like there was with the Viva Palestina convoy and George Galloway. Nope, this time there will be "dozens" of EU parliamentarians coming along. Head up Egypt and Israel!

Gaza – Ma’an Hundreds of trucks loaded with 150 wheelchairs and medical equipment for the disabled and other equipment for the deaf and blind will soon depart for Gaza, according to a statement sent to Ma'an.

Dozens of European parliamentarians will join the convoy, planned to set sail in May from Italy to Egypt, where the group will coordinate passage to the Strip via Rafah.

"The latest Israeli war against the Gaza Strip increased the Palestinian struggle and suffering, leaving many injured and disabled, and many stories of misery,” said Dr Arafat Mady, head of the European Campaign.

He added, "There are some cases that we could name where patients have become 100 percent disabled, paralyzed, and others who lost their sight, and many who are no longer able to hear."

He said the aim of the convoy is to remind the world of what happened to Palestinians there and the consequences of the war, and to encourage other states to support Gaza.

He also called on Israel and Egypt to open their crossings to permit patients to travel, noting that hundreds of Palestinians have died due to lack of treatment.

MORE BELOW:

100 European lawmakers, governors, mayors visit West Bank refugee camps, Italian aid convoy to Gaza

Some 100 European parliamentarians, mayors and governors arrived in the West Bank on Sunday under the auspices of a program that “twins” French cities with Palestinian refugee camps.

The leaders, who are primarily French, visited their counterparts on Sunday in the twinning project in Deheisha Refugee Camp in the West Bank city of Bethlehem. The delegation is led by Fernand Tuil, the head of the French twinning committee (Association des Villes Françaises Jumelées avec des Camps de Réfugiés Palestiniens).

The delegation is scheduled to visit several Palestinian refugee camps in the West Bank and Jerusalem to show solidarity with the Palestinian people, and demonstrate support for Palestinian refugees’ right to return to their homes from which they and their ancestors were expelled in 1948.

The delegation will also hold talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and other Palestinian politicians in order to receive updates about the situation in Palestine.

According to Tuil, the predominantly French delegation is the largest of its kind that has ever come to the Palestinian territories. He said the goal of the visit is to support the struggle of the Palestinian people for their national aims.

During their visit that began at noon in Deheisha Camp, the European officials met Ahmad Muheisin, head of the Palestinian side of the twinning committee, and Muhammad Al-Lahham, a Palestinian lawmaker, and attended a reception at Al-Fineiq Hall.

Another meeting is scheduled to be held in Aida Refugee Camp, also in Bethlehem, where the guests will meet Palestinian lawmaker Issa Qaraqi and other activists in the camp to discuss a potential pairing between Aida and the French city Nogent.


European figures including Swiss MP to participate in Italian aid convoy to Gaza

BRUSSELS,

Swiss MP Joseph Zisyadis and other anti-siege European personalities declared their intention to participate in the "Hope" convoy traveling from Italy to the besieged Gaza Strip earlier next month to express their solidarity with the distressed Gaza people.

In a press statement, MP Zisyadis condemned the Israeli siege on Gaza as a shameful crime against humanity, calling for lifting it immediately.

He also urged the world's free people and human rights advocates to urgently act to end the suffering of the besieged Palestinians in Gaza.

For his part, Sameh Habib, the spokesman for the convoy's coordination committee, said that the convoy will be composed of about 100 trucks and ambulances loaded with medicines, clothing and needs for the handicapped and hundreds of orphans whose parents were killed during the last Israeli war on Gaza.

Habib invited journalists and media outlets to cover this important event and relay the real suffering of one and a half million Palestinians to the whole world.

Organizer of the convoy the European campaign to lift the siege is making concentrated efforts to send this magnificent convoy to Gaza in the context of its endeavors to break the Israeli siege on Gaza.

The European campaign said that the convoy would be composed of hundreds of trucks coming from different European cities to the Italian city of Milan and would be transported on a large cargo ship to the port of Alexandria in Egypt and then into Gaza. source