TURKISH HUMANITARIAN RELIEF PREPARES ACTION TO BREAK GAZA SIEGE
Istanbul , 13 Safar 1435 / 16 December 2013 (MINA) – The Turkish Foundation for Human Rights and Freedom and Humanitarian Relief organization, IHH ( Insan Rights Hurriyetleri ve Insani Yardim Vakfi ) is preparing an action to break the Gaza Strip blockade by Mavi Marmara II.
IHH President, Bulent Yildirm stated it in a press briefing after attending the Conference of Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul Turkey, Sunday, December, 15.
“We are going to open the blockade of Gaza Strip which has been under Israeli occupation controll, although we have to sail further,” Yildirim told MINA (Miraj News Agency)’s reporter, Nur Ikhwan Abadi in Istanbul.
He also invited all the elements, NGOs, and international community to participate in the action to break the blockade. “Can you sleep calmly while our brothers in Gaza are suffering due to the blackade? We have to open Gaza blockade by the Zionist occupation,” he said.
In 2010 , IHH pioneered the humanitarian activists to break the Gaza blockade through Mediteranian sea by Mavi Marmara. Nine Turkish activists were killed when Israeli occupation troops attacked the ship and dozens more wounded. There were also two Indonesian activists who were shot and wounded in the tragedy.
Director General of the Foreign Relations of Gaza Health Ministry, Muhammad al – Kasyif in his speech at the conference said, from January to June 2013, There were 63 group of activists visiting Gaza Strip, while in July to December, Three were just six entourages entered Gaza.
“It proves that Gaza has been completely iblockaded,” said al – Kasyif. “People’s health condition is getting worse, especially cancer patients, with limited drugs, due to the blockade”.
“Every year, there are approximately 7,500 cancer cases in Gaza , 50 percent of which are in severe conditions. It happened after the Israeli attack in 2009. Many doctors said it was the impact of certain chemical weapons used by Israel occupation forces during the attack,” he said.
Renal failure also become the main serious desease in Gaza besides canceer, as many as 500 Gazan people got the desease every year.
“As a result of the Israeli occupation attack , there are 150,000 Gazans who need surgery treathment,” al – Kasyif told.
Gaza in recent days has been hit by floods, especially in Dier Balah area . Thousands of homes were submerged while the winter which comes sooner than usual made the situation worse.
About 1,8 million Gaza residents are suffering. They really need the help from international community, especially Muslims. Palestinian Prime Minister, Ismail Haniyeh called on the world to help Gaza people who are facing floods and severe winter. ( L/NIA/P04/E1) .
Mi’raj Islamic News Agency ( MINA)
