ITALIAN AID CONVOY ARRIVES IN GAZA

Gaza City, 2 Rabbi’ul Awwal 1435/3 January 2014 (MINA) – An Italian solidarity delegation arrived Thursday evening in the Gaza Strip via the Rafah crossing to check on the humanitarian situation across Gaza’s five governorates and refugee camps.

The delegation is composed of 27 activists who donated medicines to the health sector, noting that they would meet a number of government officials, representatives of factions and civil society and human rights organizations.

The delegation arrived after the Egyptian authorities exceptionally opened the Rafah crossing to them on Thursday evening, ALRAY, Palestinian Media Agency reported as quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA).

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Member of the delegation Morinco Musolino said to ALRAY that “we are making this visit to consolidate the issue of the Palestinian refugees scattered in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Palestine, noting that there are many activists working for the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their original homes.

“We managed today to enter the Gaza Strip after a very hard week, but the difficulties we faced are nothing comparing to what the Gaza people suffer of Israeli occupation violence and oppression,” he added, stressing the need to lift the blockade of Gaza so that their people can move freely.

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“It’s not accepted that Gaza becomes an open-air prison, and we will fight for the independence of Palestine,” Musolino said.

“All we can say to our governments is that you should be ashamed of turning blind eyes to the violations committed against the Palestinian people; we hope 2014 be for Palestine.”

The Gaza crossings administration said a few days ago the Egyptian authorities refused to cooperate in entering three solidarity delegations including an Italian.

Director General of Border Crossings Maher Abu Sabha said “the Egyptian authorities did not respond to our request for allowing access of three solidarity delegations to the Gaza Strip via the Rafah crossing,”

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The Rafah terminal saw frequent closures since the Egyptian military deposed the freely-elected President –now detained- in a coup against his rule in early July 2013.

Since then, Egypt has repeatedly closed the Rafah border crossing, leading to an extreme decline in the number of solidarity and aid delegations coming to Gaza.

The Rafah crossing has been the principal connection between Gaza’s 1.7 million residents and the outside world since the imposition of an economic blockade by Israel beginning in 2007.(T/P04/E1)

Mi’raj Islamic sNews Agency (MINA)