Irish aid convoy stranded for days after Gaza entry denied

AN Irish emergency aid convoy carrying medical supplies to the blockaded Palestinian enclave of Gaza has been stranded in Jordan for the last five days.

Despite representations by the Foreign Affairs Minister Micheál Martin, the Egyptian and Israeli authorities have not facilitated the convoy’s journey into Gaza.

Travelling with the convey is 23-year-old Cork woman Kate O’Sullivan. Speaking to the Irish Examiner yesterday, she said: “We have been in the Jordanian port of Aquaba for five days now awaiting clearance to be transported four hours to Egypt and from there to the Gaza border crossing.

“We have just been informed that the convoy will have to travel 500 miles back to Syria and that the Turkish government have hired a ship to take us to a port in northern Egypt and from there travel to Gaza. It is delaying these vital medical supplies by four days, they are continuing to be damaged by the daytime heat.”

The plan had been for the now-stranded convoy to reach the Rafah border crossing on December 27.

The date marks the first anniversary of the beginning of Israeli assault on Gaza last year, which left more than 1,400 people dead, including more than 300 children, and 5,000 injured.

The convoy was the culmination of several months of fundraising by four teams across Ireland. It was also part of the Viva Palestina project organised by Scottish MP George Galloway.

Separately, yesterday, two other Irish activists were held as they tried to enter Gaza for a peace march.

Zoe Lawlor from Limerick and Hilary Minch from Dublin, both Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign members, were among 23 Gaza activists taken off a bus to al Areish and brought to Cairo under police escort.