Members of aid mission go on hunger strike as passage to Gaza is blocked by Egyptian government (From York Press)
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Members of aid mission go on hunger strike as passage to Gaza is blocked by Egyptian government
9:10am Monday 28th December 2009 in
MEMBERS of the mercy mission taking medical supplies from York to Gaza went on hunger strike after the Egyptian government refused them permission to enter its territory.
Heather and Steve Stroud, Nicholas Hall and Mike Gwilliam, all from North Yorkshire, are travelling with an old NHS ambulance as part of a large convoy from the UK, which was due to reach the Palestinian area of Gaza yesterday.
But as their hoped for arrival time passed, the convoy was 150 miles away from the Gaza Strip in Aqaba, Jordan, unable to board the ferry to its destination and facing a choice between an 800-mile trek by desert or sea, or having to abandon their journey.
At midday GMT, the York contingent sent a twitter message saying: “We are fasting in solidarity with the people of Gaza. The story today should be about Israeli war crimes, not Egyptian blocking.”
Earlier, Nick had said: “We feel great frustration at being balked here in Aqaba when the Gaza Strip is only 150 miles away.”
Other members of the convoy were also on hunger strike, which had been planned before the ban, and had declared that the 800-mile detour to avoid passing into Egypt was impossible for financial and other reasons. Supporters also held a vigil in York yesterday. Before the Egyptian ban, the team’s spirits had been high. Carol Pearman, who is keeping in touch with the crew on their journey, said: “They are absolutely fine. It’s pretty exhausting because it has been non-stop. But I think they caught up on some sleep in a hotel when they got to Amman (Jordan’s capital) – they are buoyed by enthusiasm.”
Mrs Pearman said the convoy was not without its difficulties, and had recently spent six hours at the Jordanian border, where some members of the convoy had their passports temporarily confiscated.
The ambulance set off from York for London earlier this month before joining a convoy of other vehicles leaving the capital. The vehicles then headed through France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Syria, and Jordan. The progress of the York ambulance can be followed on the Twitter web site by going to twitter.com/yorktogaza
There is also a regularly updated blog, at yorktogaza.blogspot.com
Comments(13)
rothko
says...
12:32pm Mon 28 Dec 09
KarenWhite1978 wrote:You are incredibly ignorant of the facts. Read your history books, Israel did not exist until the 1940s and Arabs were driven out by acts of terrorism by Israeli terrorists such as the Irgun http://en.wikipedia.
Time passes quickly, I had not realised that it was a year since some terrorist scum in Arab-occupied Israel decided to fire random rockets into the Holy Land - and paid a high price.
org/wiki/Irgun
englandland
says...
12:47pm Mon 28 Dec 09
The idea that Palestinians and Israelis should ever live together as equals in a united Israel-Palestine seems like a fantasy: but I am convinced that one day this will be possible.
Alex Mac
says...
1:12pm Mon 28 Dec 09
Since they 'left' Gaza in 2005, they have continued to control all the borders to such an extent that they are still recognised as occupiers. Without freedom of movement and goods, the Gazan economy has been destroyed and most people have no way of making a living. Fishermen are even prevented from fishing by Israeli gunboats.
Add to this the fact that regular Israeli incursions into the strip have continued, albeit largely unreported by our media, and it is little wonder that occasionally a few people retaliate with home made rockets (Israel is a nuclear power!)
What was Gaza's crime that lead to the present blockade? They held democratic elections but elected the party the west didn't want.
aa42john
says...
1:18pm Mon 28 Dec 09
(But hold on! - I just heard that 6 Palestinians were killed by Israel on Christmas Day. They were walking to work in their fields apparently, near the Israeli wall which is stealing so much of their land.)
A taxpayer
says...
5:46pm Mon 28 Dec 09
rothko
says...
6:31pm Mon 28 Dec 09
A taxpayer wrote:What a wonderfully selfish attitude. Should we just ignore the death and suffering because it is not in our country?
If everyone stopped interfering in other countries business perhaps we could sort the UK out?
piaggio
says...
10:00pm Mon 28 Dec 09
piaggio
says...
10:02pm Mon 28 Dec 09
englandland
says...
11:12pm Mon 28 Dec 09
rothko
says...
9:41am Tue 29 Dec 09
'the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, esp. for political purposes.'
States such as Israel are guilty of terrorism under this defnition. They have imprisoned the population of Gaza, stopped aid reaching them and as in 2008 carpet bombed the population.
aa42john
says...
9:52am Tue 29 Dec 09
The other side (Catholic/Palestinia
ns) were largely ignored until they kicked up a fuss. Dreadful things were done on both sides in the name of religion and statehood. The worst bullies were the stronger side, but they owned the means of communication and made the bullies look like the victims.
But at least in Ireland, the UK did not blast the hell out of Dundalk and lay it to waste - and then besiege it for years and the rest of the world did nothing. (That's about where we are now in the Middle East.)
We as the UK people are complicit in Israel's actions: we expect our allies to behave well. Israel was established as the 'solution' to European fascism in 1947. Since 1967 she has been illegall.
piaggio
says...
3:07pm Tue 29 Dec 09
you really think so! thats the impression this corrupt govt wants you to beleive.
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A vigil held in St Sampson’s Square, York, yesterday, in support of the people of Gaza
The ambulance shown flying the flags of Yorkshire and Palestine as it headed towards Istanbul
Members of aid mission go on hunger strike as passage to Gaza is blocked
Members of aid mission go on hunger strike as passage to Gaza is blocked
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KarenWhite1978 says...
11:58am Mon 28 Dec 09