CAIRO: A European aid convoy carrying medical supplies intended for Gaza was rerouted by local security authorities and has not yet reached the Rafah border crossing. The Hope convoy set off from Italy earlier this month and arrived via cargo ship at Alexandria last Friday. Members of the convoy had planned to complete the route on land to Rafah. However security forces intervened and forced the convoy to continue by ship to Port Said before making the trip by land to Rafah in Northern Sinai. Currently the convoy members are in Port Said waiting for their trucks to arrive from Alexandria. Member of the convoy and president of the European campaign to lift the siege on Gaza Dr Arafat Madi told Daily News Egypt that they had to commission another ship to take the convoy vehicles to Port Said. Security forces have orders that convoys do not travel from Alexandria to Port Said by land. We don't have a problem as long as the aid gets to Gaza. We are in constant contact with them, and they promised us that the crossing will be opened for us, he said. A source in Rafah told Daily News Egypt that the decision to alter the convoy s route was to limit the participation of Egyptian activists. Madi said that the aid would be distributed to hospitals and aid organizations in the Gaza Strip. There are 12 European parliamentarians who are either traveling with the convoy or will join it at the Rafah crossing. Amongst the MPs are Fernando Rossi from Italy and Joseph Zisyadis from Switzerland as well as others from Great Britain, Ireland, Scotland and Greece. The convoy boasts over a hundred vehicles including 12 ambulances. Madi told the Palestinian News Network last Friday that the convoy is carrying dozens of small trucks packed with medical equipment and modern technologies, in particular for sight and hearing impairments, as well as 12 up-to-date ambulances with medical supplies. The convoy is the result of donations from individuals and donations from non-governmental organizations in Europe, he added. The Rafah crossing has just been closed after it had opened for three days since last Saturday. The MENA news agency reported that around 520 tons of supplies were transported to Gaza Sunday, donated by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Organization for the Islamic Conference. About 1,200 Palestinians crossed to and from the Gaza Strip during the time. After the Rafah crossing was closed, other crossings under direct Israeli control such as Karem Abu Salem and Al-Oja were opened Tuesday to allow shipments of food and fuel into Gaza.
