Egypt Colludes with Israel in Siege of Gaza

international | anti-war / imperialism | news report Thursday April 30, 2009 10:32 by Galway Palestine Children's Charity

Irish Activist Reports From Egyptian Border with Gaza

The Galway Palestine Children’s Charity has accused the Egyptian Government of colluding with the Israelis in the siege of Gaza. The Galway-based charity has, along with supporters in Cork, sent 5 containers of aid for Gaza this year. None of them have reached the people of Gaza. In fact, the containers are likely to be returned to Ireland.

The charity’s spokesperson, Treasa Ní Cheannabháin, travelled to Egypt on the 22nd April in an attempt to secure the passage of the containers from the Egyptian port of Alexandria to Gaza, but without success.

According to Treasa Ní Cheannabháin: “Four of the containers have travelled on three separate occasions back and forth between Alexandria and the Rafah crossing point with Gaza. Each time they have been refused permission by the Egyptian authorities to enter Gaza, because the medical equipment and other supplies are not brand new.

“This has resulted in huge extra costs for our sister charity the Egyptian Medical Syndicate. The containers are now sitting for weeks in the Port of Alexandria and the charity has so far been forced to pay (Egyptian) £300,000, the equivalent of € 40,000 in port charges. And there continues to be a threat from the authorities that the containers will be returned to Ireland.

“We have no doubt that the Cairo government is colluding with the Israelis to continue the siege of Gaza. The people of Gaza have virtually nothing, why would they object to second-hand equipment and aid. We have spoken to the deputy Minister for Health in Gaza Dr. Mounir. He has informed us that they will accept all aid, new or second-hand. It is the Israelis and the Egyptian authorities that are making this stipulation.

“However, it is not just our containers that are failing to cross into Gaza. The Red Crescent has 13,000 tons of aid at El Arish on the border with Gaza. And there are tons more in Port Said and other ports. The Red Crescent are unable to get this aid into Gaza because of its own government in Cairo – some Red Crescent people appealed to us to make this fact known in Ireland. So the inhuman blockade of Gaza by Israel continues unabated and President Mubarak is giving Tel Aviv his full support.”