British lifeline convoy, Viva Palestina, enters Gaza amid warm popular and official reception

[ 09/03/2009 - 07:13 PM ]

RAFAH, (PIC)--

All members of the British lifeline for Gaza convoy headed by house of commons member George Galloway has crossed Monday evening into the Gaza Strip through the Rafah border crossing amid warm popular and official reception.

As he entered Gaza, Galloway said he was overwhelmed with happiness at the convoy's arrival on the anniversary of Prophet Mohammad's birth.

"The trip was long and difficult during which we travelled thousands of miles and crossed many borders. We faced difficulties and lost some of the participants, but at the end, we arrived by the grace of God to the holy land," the head of the convoy added.

The convoy's head stressed that all shipments would enter through the Rafah crossing except for two ambulances, one fire truck and some equipment which would be allowed in through the Awja crossing, adding that Red Cross workers would drive some aid trucks through Israeli checkpoints into Gaza.

The British lawmaker also said that he plans to meet with Palestinian resistance fighters, the government of Palestine, and Gaza citizens.

The lifeline for Gaza convoy started its journey from outside the British house of commons on February 14 passing through Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and Libya before arriving in Egypt.

The convoy is composed of 280 public figures and 110 trucks loaded with food, medicines, medical supplies and clothing in addition to 20 ambulances and one fire truck.

Viva Palestina, the lifeline from the people of Britain has arrived in Gaza

Monday March 09, 2009 19:30 by Mary Arthur - IMEMC News

After another morning of intense negotiations with Egyptian authorities, a deal was reached to allow all of the members of the convoy to enter Gaza. In the end, Viva Palestina had to make the sacrifice of agreeing to some vehicles, including their mascot, the fire engine and boat entering from the Al-Ouja Israeli controlled crossing point due to restrictions imposed by Egyptian law on the Rafah Crossing.  

A tearful Talat Ali said 'Rafah is the most beautiful crossing in the world'. He added that the time , effort and sacrifices put in by all the Viva Palestina family meant that history has been made today - on the day the prophet Mohammed was born.   George Galloway made an emotional speech thanking the people of Gaza for the wonderful reception and assuring them “We are all Palestinians.” George also reiterated that the people of Palestine have voted and that their voice should be respected.   Today the convoy will head along the Salah Eddine road towards Gaza City witnessing along the way the destruction and death caused by the Israeli war machine. Along the way they will be greeted by the people of Gaza who will know that Viva Palestina is here and that they will “never be alone”.

British Aid convoy, Viva Palestina, attacked by authorities and thugs in al-Arish Monday March 09, 2009 - 12:53

On Sunday at night, when the British aid convoy was hoping to reach the Rafah crossing into Gaza, they became the target of violence by the Egyptian authorities and unknown aggressors.

This resulted in a number of peace activists, whose only aim is to take humanitarian aid into war torn Gaza, being treated at the hospital for head injuries. Sabotage of their satellite van meant that images could not be transmitted by Press TV, who provided the vehicle.

'The trouble began when the police, under orders to break up the convoy and send some through an Israeli checkpoint, lashed out with their batons.' Said British journalist, Yvonne Ridley, who is traveling with the group, "This was never going to be accepted by anyone on board the convoy. Our aim from the outset was simple: Rafah or bust."

"Giving aid to the people of Gaza has nothing to do with the Israelis, and I do wish they would stop trying to make themselves centre stage in an affair that does not involve Tel Aviv." As the convoy members tried to defend themselves, a second wave of hundreds of riot squad officers, wearing visors, carrying shields and batons, was sent in to the al-Arish town centre car park.

"Some of the unarmed peace activists needed medical attention while others managed to escape," commented Ridley. According to Ridley, "It was a minor victory and what followed was a very British response - the lads decided to have a game of football. I did try to persuade the Egyptian police to join in, stressing they would have much more fun kicking a ball instead of kicking my comrades, but they seemed reluctant to let go of their batons. As usual the Israelis also played to stereotype by shelling and bombing parts of Gaza."

Repeated power cuts coincided with brick, bottle and stone attacks on the convoy members by youths in their late teens and 20s. Seconds before the lights went outm some convoy members saw a couple of unidentified men scrawling anti-Hamas slogans on lorries.

Convoy leader George Galloway, who was 40 kilometres down the road at Rafah, had to leave the international media party there to hold an urgent meeting with the governor of the region, and secure assurances this would not happen again. He also secured a pledge that the convoy would be allowed to make its way to the Rafah crossing for 6am on Monday. 

Ridley stated that, "[w]e're now only a few hours away from that deadline and it remains to be seen if the governor will keep his word. But regardless of what he decides, the people united can never be defeated. Gaza, next stop!"

"Viva Palestina" arrives in Gaza with 1 million British pounds of aid from three continents

Date: 09 / 03 / 2009  Time:  17:40
Bethlehem – Ma’an –

After a nearly 8,000 kilometer drive more than 1 million pounds of aid and dozens of vehicles will be trickling into Gaza this week, following the success of George Galloway’s “Viva Palestina” lifeline movement on Monday.

Galloway, a British MP, spearheaded the campaign that mobilized thousands of the Muslim community in the UK. Donations for the victims of Israel’s war on the area were collected from several districts in the country, and a convoy of 100 trucks set off from London, drove through France, Spain, boated to Morocco then continued across North Africa to Egypt and waited for two days at the Rafah border.

Supervisors of the campaign negotiated with Egyptian officials for two days. On Sunday Egypt allowed a small group of Libyan volunteers into Gaza, and coordinated the passage of three trucks of medical supplies into Israel via Al-Auja crossing to the south of Rafah.

According to organizers the hold-up at Rafah was over food supplies Egyptian officials said were not agreed on. Egyptian officials said they could send the supplies, as well as heavy equipment like a fire truck, filtration system and fishing vessel into Israel where they could be sent through one of the other crossing points

Once the agreement had been made and mechanisms for all supplies to move into Gaza secured, the convoy prepared to enter the Gaza Strip with the remainder of the goods.

Groups of scouts received the convoy headed by Galloway who said to the group: “we arrived to Palestine on the prophet’s birthday. We crossed thousands of miles, we lost some people and some vehicles but we arrived to the Holy Land.”

Galloway said this visit to Palestine was the most significant for him, since it comes so soon after the massacre of so many. He affirmed that all of the convoy members were allowed through Rafah, after four were refused entry into Egypt the week before and were forced to return home to London.

The 250 trucks of supplies are being transferred into Gaza by way of the Egyptian Red Crescent, direct transport by the “Viva Palestina” volunteers, and indirect transport via the Israeli crossings.

In a statement following the entrance of the convoy into Gaza, Spokesperson Farid Arada said the group will “head along the Salah Ad-Din road towards Gaza City witnessing along the way the destruction and death caused by the Israeli war machine.”

Gazans are reportedly lining the roads to observe the line of vehicles, and Arada said the movement hoped locals would get the message that they are not alone.