Scottish Aid reaches Gaza

by BRUCE WHITEHEAD

EIGHTEEN SCOTTISH volunteers have successfully delivered 25 tonnes of medicines to Gaza after a marathon 3,700-mile drive through Europe. The aid was donated by multi-faith groups including churches and mosques across Scotland. Despite setting off a week after the George Galloway convoy, the 17 Muslims from Glasgow, Preston and Bolton mosques, joined by this journalist, managed to beat the much larger group by nearly two days, arriving at the Rafah checkpoint last Saturday. Abdul Aziz, who helped organise the shipment, said the drivers had confirmed the trust placed in them by thousands of Scottish and English donors.

After meeting members of the Hamas government in Gaza City, the aid drivers were taken to see the effects of Israeli carpet bombing during the recent 22-day assault on civilian homes and public buildings. At Jebel al Rayes, a hill in the east of the town, they witnessed an area where every house had been flattened by air attack, some with the occupants still inside. Nearby, they saw a tent city erected by Unicef, along with a makeshift day centre run by Free Gaza to help the traumatised children.

Palestinians are living in tents beside their former homes

Asked if Hamas would ever recognise Israel’s right to exist, the minister for public works, Yousef al Mansi said it would guarantee a safe haven to Israelis compatible with the pre-1967 borders, when Israel began its large-scale invasion of Palestinian land. Mr Al Mansi expressed his profound gratitude to the people of Scotland for the aid which would be used to help the many injured in the recent bombings. But he called for Israel to withdraw from occupied territories and to comply with UN security council resolutions. He said the ban on imports of ordinary commodities such as cement and petrol must be lifted.

Gaza parliament building after F-16 raid

Rizi Mohammed, who co-organised the convoy with Hassan Nowarah of Justice for Palestine, said he was pleased to have successfully delivered the aid. “At several points we heard very discouraging news about the Rafah crossing and wondered if we would get in. But the Egyptians were able to open the gates and let us through so we are very happy.”

But as the convoy waited to enter the Rafah checkpoint, the reality of war was brought home when an Israeli tank fired a shell onto tunnels nearby, causing a massive explosion and likely killing the smugglers underneath.

MORE REPORTS SOON; but see this one in Evening News