- Human RightsPalestine
- January 28, 2008
- 3 minutes read
Egyptian Authorities Block Aid Convoys to Gaza Strip

Thousands of Palestinians have flocked, for the fourth day in a row, into the Egyptian side of Gaza-Egypt borders to buy required commodities, food, medicines, and fuel, while Egyptian security forces denied access to Gaza all convoys carrying shipments of food and other needs offered by Egyptian relief agencies and civil society institutions to Gaza Strip residents.
Central Security Forces were also deployed all over the Sinai Peninsula to force Palestinians to return back to Gaza Strip.”This Egyptian decision can”t justified and can”t be understood”, said Abdul Qader Hegazi, chairman of the humanitarian aid committee in the Egyptian Doctors” Union, commenting the Egyptian authorities” decision of preventing aid from reaching Gaza.
He said also that Egyptian authorities barred this humanitarian aid offered by the Doctors” Union committee but they then conditioned that this aid be sent to stores of the Red Crescent organization.In a related context, several Arab, Leftist, Jewish and national movements staged along with other human rights organizations a huge march backing Gaza strip in its ordeal. Hundreds of Arab and Jewish peace supporters reached north of Gaza carrying amounts commodities and goods to show their solidarity with the coastal strip which has faced a tight blockade imposed by Israeli Occupation Forces.
The people participating in the march gathered in the Israeli side of Beit Hanoun crossing, and then moved to reach Gaza Strip.”The flocking of Palestinians into Egypt which some Egyptian officials saw as serious to the Egyptian security has nothing to do with sending a humanitarian aid”, said Hegazi protesting at the Egyptian decision of blocking this aid which the Palestinians in Gaza badly need.”This aid is offered by the aid committee from donations allocated to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. Thealestinians flocking into Egyptian territories is still going on but the shipments of the relief committee have been barred from reaching Gaza for no reason”.
He added that he sees no relation between the flocking of Palestinians into Egyptian territories and conditioning that this aid be sent to the Red Crescent committee. This is because donors have the right to hand over their aid to Gaza Strip to be sure that they reach people who need it lest this aid be sent to any other destination without any reason.