Aid Convoy, Miles Of Smiles, Makes It Into Gaza

Miles Of Smiles Makes It Into Gaza

Thursday November 12, 2009 21:11 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

The Miles of Smiles European humanitarian aid convoy finally made it into the Gaza Strip on Wednesday at night after being stranded at the Egyptian side of the Rafah Border Terminal for 25 days.

Head of the Committee Against the Siege in Gaza, Hamdi Sha'ath, stated during a phone interview with Ma'an News Agency that convoy members will remain in Gaza for 48 hours, and will be leaving the coastal region on Friday afternoon.

Convoy members were hoping to remain in Gaza for a longer period but the short 2-day trip is part of an agreement negotiated with Egypt.

The Egyptian Authorities initially refused to allow the convoy into the Gaza Strip.

Egyptian officials then only agreed to a 24-hour trip, but ongoing talks pushed Egypt to grant additional 24 hours.

The convoy consists of 100 small truck filled with medical supplies, nearly 260 wheelchairs, a number of ambulances, 102 vehicles for transporting residents with special needs in addition to computers for schools that were shelled by Israel during the war.

Sha'ath said that the 60 convoy members from 10 European countries would be meeting members of the Palestinian Legislative Council in northern Gaza and would also visit the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.

Convoy members would also meet families of Palestinians detained by Israel, in addition to holding a meeting with government officials in Gaza.

Rashad Al-Baz, one of the convoy officials, said that only half of the supplies made it into Gaza, (49 small ambulances, vehicles for transporting disabled residents, computers and essential equipment for disabled children).

Al-Baz added that the second half would be unloaded at the Al Arish Egyptian port before being loaded onto vehicles heading to Gaza.

It includes 53 vehicles and is accompanied by 61 European activists.

Palestinian Minister of Labor and Social Affairs at the de facto government in Gaza, Ahmad Al Kurd, held a press conference welcoming convoy members and said that this convoy and previous convoys carry clear messages calling for ending the illegal and unjust Israeli siege on more than 1.5 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

He added that this siege led to devastating human impacts on the residents, and that the visiting activists would observe the real situation in Gaza and spread the word in their countries.

The Equipment and vehicles are worth 2 million Dollars and were donated by several private organizations from 10 European countries.

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