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Wed, Sept 22, 2010 | The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center

The aid convoy to the Gaza Strip organized by Viva Palestina and headed by George Galloway, reaches Paris (Viva Palestina website, September 21, 2010)

The Viva Palestina Aid Convoy Left London for the Gaza Strip

An aid convoy organized by Viva Palestina left for the Gaza Strip. It is currently in France and from expects go to Italy, Turkey, Greece and Syria. From the Syrian port of Latakia it expects to sail to the port of El Arish. It expects to be joined by convoys from Middle East countries. The convoy will drive overland from El Arish and enter the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing.

This past week a Viva Palestina aid convoy left London for the Gaza Strip. Reports continue in the media of preparations for additional land and sea convoys.

The convoy of Viva Palestina, an organization headed by George Galloway, left London on September 18 and is currently in France. It is expected to stop in Paris and Lyon and a number of smaller towns on the way. From there it will go to Italy and pass through Torino and Milan, and from there to Greece, Turkey and finally Syria (infopal.it website, September 18; Viva Palestina website, September 21, 2010). The convoy expects to reach Syria on October 2 and from there leave for the Gaza Strip, reaching it on October 10 via the Rafah crossing (Hamas’ Palestine-info website, September 18, 2010). According to information previously issued by the organization, the convoy plans to sail from the Syrian port of Latakia to the Egyptian port of El Arish.

Some of the convoy participants (Viva Palestina website, September 19, 2010)

George Galloway, one of the organizers, said that another convoy would soon leave from Kuwait and make its way via the Persian Gulf and Arabian peninsula, then join reinforcements from Jordan and continue to Syria. Another convoy, he said, would leave from Casablanca in Morocco, drive through Algeria and Tunisia and from there sail to the port of Latakia and join the other two convoys (Press TV, Iran, September 18, 2010).

According to the convoy’s organizers, there will be between 150 and 200 vehicles, including 40 trucks from Britain. Labor unions in Jordan are expected to contribute 50 trucks and Algeria will send 50 more (Ma’an News Agency, September 19; EinNews, September 18, 2010).

Two activists who were aboard the Mavi Marmara, Kevin O’Venden, a senior Viva Palestina figure, and Nicci Enchmarch, are convoy participants. There are also participants from Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia. Indonesia, France, Italy and Canada (CNN, September 18; Press TV, Iran, September 18 and 19; WorldBulletin.net website, September 19; Al-Jazeera TV, September 18, 2010).

A convoy vehicle (Al-Jazeera TV, September 19, 2010)

Other Initiative

Syria: On September 19 a Syrian aid ship which sailed from the port of Tartus carrying 650 tons of humanitarian assistance and 40 tons of medical equipment anchored in El Arish. Unloading began on September 20 (Syrian News Agency, September 18; Masrawy.com, September 19, 2010).