MB Bloc Forms Fact-Finding Mission Investigating Gov’t Blocking Aid Convoys to Gaza

The Muslim Brotherhood parliamentary bloc sent a delegation on Sunday evening Jan, 27th, 2008, to the Egyptian city of Al-Arish to investigate why medical and food aid convoys sent to Gaza from the Egyptian people were prevented from entering Gaza. The delegation included engineer Sabri Khalafallah, engineer Ibrahim Abu Awf, Mohamed Kasba and Dr. Hamdi Ismail .
 
Engineer Sabri Khalafallah said in press statements that aid convoys of from the Doctors” Syndicate, Pharmacists Syndicate and aid gathered in popular convoys organized by Egyptian members of parliament were barred from entering Al-Arish and Rafah. He said also that these convoys are parked in front of Al-Salam bridge linking between west and east of the Suez Canal and that they are currently denied access to Al-Arish to prevent them from entering Gaza to help the besieged residents.
 
He added that the trucks that managed to cross the bridge were stopped at the entrance of Al-Arish city and their drivers were taken to police stations and their IDs and mobile phones were seized. Some of them were released later on  many others while are still inside police stations without justification.

Khalafallah was informed by army officials that they receive orders to allow only trucks from the Red Crescent to cross the bridge into Gaza, which he said was in contrary to what the president stated in his remarks about the situation in Gaza.