Irish activists caught up in Gaza convoy violence

The Department of Foreign Affairs said today it was doing everything possible to ensure the safety of Irish volunteers participating in an aid convoy to Gaza which last night was caught up in clashes with Egyptian police.

Around a dozen Irish people are believed to be among 520 people travelling with the ‘Vida Palestina’ aid convoy, which involves 150 trucks full of supplies.

Clashes broke out last night at the Egyptian port city of El Arish, near Gaza.

Dozens of people were reported to have been injured, at least one of them Irish.

“I was concerned to hear that a number of Irish citizens had been caught up in disturbances which took place last night,” Foreign Affairs Minister Micheál Martin said today.

“I have been speaking with the family of one of the Irish volunteers in question to assure them that we were doing everything possible to ensure the safety of the volunteers in El Arish.

“I have also spoken today with Ireland’s Ambassador to Egypt, Mr. Gerard Corr, and asked that he keep me personally informed of developments. The Irish Embassy in Cairo has been in contact with the volunteers on the ground and with the Egyptian authorities, and officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin have also been in touch with the Egyptian Embassy here.

“In light of last night’s disturbances, the Embassy in Cairo has contacted the Egyptian Foreign Ministry and expressed concern at reports that Irish citizens had been caught up in the violence. We have also expressed our concern to the Egyptian authorities for the welfare of the Irish citizens involved in the aid convoy,” Minister Martin said.

We will continue to monitor the situation closely and maintain close contact with the volunteers and the Egyptian Government.”

Protests reportedly broke out when Egyptian authorities at El Arish ordered some lorries to use an Israeli-controlled checkpoint.

The activists would prefer the goods to be transported via Egypt’s Rafah crossing.

Members of the convoy said seven or eight of the convoy members had to be treated in hospital, and blamed “heavy-handed” policing of their group.

British MP George Galloway, leading the convoy, said Israel was likely to prevent it entering Gaza.

He told Sky News: “It is completely unconscionable that 25% of our convoy should go to Israel and never arrive in Gaza.”

Earlier this week convoy members staged noisy protests after Egyptian officials took away their passports and there was a lengthy delay in giving them back.