American and European delegations attempting to enter Gaza via the Rafah border crossing remained at the gate Friday after being consistently denied passage.Concerning the Galloway convoy, some interesting details from Al Arabiya:The 10 members of the American delegation, titled the Gaza Medical/Mental Delegation, camped in front of the Rafah gate Thursday night but their efforts to pass through into Gaza have been repeatedly thwarted by authorities at the crossing.
“The answer is always no,” American activist from the delegation Inaya Khalil told Daily News Egypt in a telephone interview.
Besides the 10 Americans, there are 19 Italians, 14 British, two French and one Swiss national also at the crossing not being permitted entry into Gaza. The delegations are made up of doctors, social workers and filmmakers.
Despite the lack of success in their fourth attempt in four days to enter Gaza, Khalil indicated that the delegation had no intention of leaving and would remain at the crossing.
“Egyptian authorities are telling us that they have enough medical relief inside Gaza but that’s not what I’ve heard,” Bryant said. “This is a typical thing that the US and Israel have done in several areas, it’s ethnic cleansing. What’s a wall for? It’s collective punishment.”
Another 60-strong American delegation arrived at the gate Friday night, spearheaded by the Code Pink foundation, a grassroots women’s initiative, carrying with it 2,000 gift baskets for the people of Gaza. The delegation is traveling at the invitation of the UN Relief and Works Agency for its Gaza Gender Initiative. [This is the one that Rachel Corrie's parents are a part of - EoZ]
Another delegation headed by British Respect MP George Galloway entered Egypt from Libya Thursday and is expected at the crossing on Sunday.
“A lifeline from Britain to Gaza,” is the motto of Viva Palestina, which started out with 110 trucks from London but was doubled in Libya after the Gaddafi Foundation for Charity and Development donated 100 trucks laden with aid.Ridley, by the way, is there as a correspondent for - Iran's Press TV.Yvonne Ridley, award winning journalist who accompanied the convoy, reported that Israel pressured Egypt to divert the convoy to go through Israeli borders.
"Israel is putting huge pressure on Egypt to force the convoy which is now doubled in size, a British-Libyan venture, through Israeli territory," she said at the conference.Meanwhile, four Viva Palestina convoy volunteers were reportedly refused entry into Egypt for security reasons.
Stephen Gray, Richard Burton, Shams Suppin Razaq and Azam Hussein left to Tripoli, in Libya from where they will fly to the UK via Amsterdam Sunday.
Today may be interesting as we see exactly what Egypt does with these terror-cheering moonbats.