Viva Palestina Convoy Reaches Egypt

http://warincontext.org/2010/01/04/turkey-helps-viva-palestina-deliver-aid-to-gaza/

Turkish MPs to enter Gaza with Viva Palestina convoy in Egypt
World Bulletin, January 4, 2010

Five Turkish MPs will on Monday join an international aid convoy that has reached Egyptian port one-week later after the date that they initially hoped to reach Gaza Strip on the first anniversary of Israel's 22-day offensive.

Viva Palestina Convoy is now at the Egyptian port of El-Arish with Turkish ship ULUSOY-6, which carried the convoy from the Syrian port of Lattakia to Egypt.

The aid volunteers who stay at Lattakia will fly in the day in 3 separate flights to Al-Arish to join the convoy. After everyone arrives at the Al- Arish port, the convoy will make an hour-drive to the Rafah border.

It is expected that the convoy will enter Gaza on Tuesday evening. It will be able to stay in Gaza for 24 hours only. During this time, all aid, drugs and medical tools will be delivered to the Gazan authorities. After 24 hours, all volunteers who travel with the convoy will go to Egypt and then fly back to their own countries.

Turkish humanitarian aid group, IHH, said in a statement sent to World Bulletin, five Turkish deputies will go to Egypt Monday night to join Viva Palestina Convoy .

IHH named AK Party deputies as Husnu Tuna, Cemal Yılmaz Demir, Mehmet Nil Hidir, Seracettin Karayagız, Hasan Murat Mercan, which will enter Gaza with the convoy.

Meanwhile, Egypt opened its border with the Gaza Strip on Sunday for three days.

Israel killed nearly 1500 Palestinians and more than 5000 Gazans in the offensive and has imposed the siege on the occupied land since 2007.

A group of international lawyers and human rights activists accuse Israel of committing "genocide" through its crippling blockade of the Strip.