Friday, January 6, 2012

8th 'Miles of smiles' convoy en route to Gaza

A police officer stands on an aid boat in the Gaza sea port.
(MaanImages/Eman Mohammed, File)

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Around 100 international activists will arrive in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday in the eighth "Miles of smiles" convoy bringing medical aid to the besieged population, coordinator Isam Mustafa said.

The activists will bring medicine worth 3 million Egyptian pounds ($497,000) as well as ambulances and cars adapted for people with disabilities, Mustafa said in a statement.

Activists from Tunis, Morocco, Bahrain, Jordan, Algeria, France, Poland and Britain are traveling with the convoy to show solidarity with Palestinians and break Israel's illegal siege of the enclave.

Israel intensified its land, sea and air blockade of Gaza in 2007 when Hamas took control of the coastal strip.

In May, Egypt opened the Rafah crossing on its border with Gaza, allowing some residents to leave for the first time in years. The terminal is not equipped for the transfer of goods, and residents still rely on underground tunnels to smuggle in goods from Egypt.

Maan News Agency

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