Occupied Palestine | فلسطين

Miles of Smiles 5 to land in Strip marking Eid al-Fitr, announcing protest at high sea

[ 03/08/2011 – 12:13 PM ]

GAZA, (PIC)– A humanitarian aid convoy, dubbed Miles of Smiles 5, is set to land in the Gaza Strip on Eid al-Fitr, the Muslim holiday marking the end of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting.

In addition, organizers say participants are preparing a ‘’sea demonstration’’ in international waters protesting Israel’s five-year siege on the Gaza Strip.

Isam Yusuf, coordinator of Miles of Smiles 4, expressed hope that the Egyptian authorities would ease the convoy’s passage as they had done with the previous convoy.

With regards to the protest at sea, Yusuf said the convoy is not planning on delivering the much needed aid directly to Gaza’s port but wants only to demonstrate against Israel’s siege and ‘’pirating’’ of siege-breaking ships, such as the French Dignite (Al-Karama).

The majority of the convoy’s scheduled 36 participants are expected to be British and Austrian high school and university students from various ethnic backgrounds. But also on board will be representatives of associations like Interpal and activists from Bahrain. Each participant has contributed US $3,000 to the mission.

The Egyptian authorities have taken measures to ease the passage of the convoy, allowing it to cross the Rafah land terminal on the country’s border with Gaza after sunset, at a time when the crossing is normally closed. Two participants were also permitted entry although coordination for them was made late, Yusuf said, with hopes that the gestures signaled a ‘’new page’’ in Egypt’s easing of measures for Gaza convoys.

Yusuf also revealed plans for a sixth convoy to land in the Gaza Strip before the second Muslim holiday, Eid al-Adha, and a seventh that would land three months from now on the holiday itself.

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