CAIRO: American and European delegations attempting to enter Gaza via the Rafah border crossing remained at the gate Friday after being consistently denied passage. The 10 members of the American delegation, titled the Gaza Medical/Mental Delegation, camped in front of the Rafah gate Thursday night but their efforts to pass through into Gaza have been repeatedly thwarted by authorities at the crossing. "The answer is always no, American activist from the delegation Inaya Khalil told Daily News Egypt in a telephone interview. Besides the 10 Americans, there are 19 Italians, 14 British, two French and one Swiss national also at the crossing not being permitted entry into Gaza. The delegations are made up of doctors, social workers and filmmakers. "We are humanitarian aid, we brought some supplies. Our mission is to cast love and peace, not lead. We want to go to the hospitals and meet families, Khalil said. According to Khalil, a British activist is also being held at Nuweiba in Southern Sinai. He had collected donations to purchase an ambulance which he drove to Gaza from Britain. One of the organizers from the American delegation, Don Bryant, told Daily News Egypt, "I don't understand why they would not allow humanitarian aid in. I wonder if they don't want us to see the effects of war on people. War crimes have occurred, but the secret is out. Despite the lack of success in their fourth attempt in four days to enter Gaza, Khalil indicated that the delegation had no intention of leaving and would remain at the crossing. "Egyptian authorities are telling us that they have enough medical relief inside Gaza but that's not what I've heard, Bryant said. "This is a typical thing that the US and Israel have done in several areas, it's ethnic cleansing. What's a wall for? It's collective punishment. Another 60-strong American delegation arrived at the gate Friday night, spearheaded by the Code Pink foundation, a grassroots women's initiative, carrying with it 2,000 gift baskets for the people of Gaza. The delegation is traveling at the invitation of the UN Relief and Works Agency for its Gaza Gender Initiative. Another delegation headed by British Respect MP George Galloway entered Egypt from Libya Thursday and is expected at the crossing on Sunday. Ever since the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip last December, and many foreign delegations have descended on the Rafah crossing to offer aid and expertise to the besieged people of Gaza. The crossing was a conduit for humanitarian aid during the conflict. However, Egypt announced the closure of the crossing shortly after the offensive ended.
