By Leanna MacLarty
16 November 2011 15:13 GMT
Fire Trucks: On final leg of journey to Palestine. Pic: © STV
A fire truck donated by crew in Dundee is back on the road to Palestine after Israeli authorities agreed to release it.
The engine and other life-saving equipment from Tayside Fire and Rescue were due to be delivered to firefighters in Nablus in October but were detained by customs officers in Haifa, Israel.
The authorities impounded the vehicle 50 miles from its final desination over claims the firefighters did not have right paperwork to get through customs.
Jim Malone of the Fire Brigades Union welcomed news on Wednesday that the fire engines were now being allowed on their way more than a month after they were detained.
He said: "Today's news is fantastic. We were faced by many challenges in delivering the project, however with the help of the Israeli Histadrut, the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions and the Nablus Municipality Fire Department we have achieved our goal in delivering this vital equipment."
The Israeli authorities are not allowing the trucks to be driven to their destination at Nablus, which is twinned with Dundee.
Instead the town's mayor has agreed to pay for a low-loader truck to be sent to Haifa to pick them up.
The trucks are expected to be delivered by Thursday, Mr Malone said.
Another engine that was due to be handed over in the project backed by the Tayside branch of the Fire Brigades Union broke down in Greece during the 2500 mile journey to the West Bank.
Sandra White MSP, convener of the Scottish Parliament’s cross party group for Palestine, said: "I am delighted that the Israeli authorities have now released the bulk of the humanitarian aid the fire engine was carrying, it’s a great testament to Jim Malone and the Fire Brigade Union and their dogged determination to get this aid through, regardless of the barriers."
Dundee and Tayside | STV News
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