The Viva Palestina convoy to relieve the siege of Gaza summed up its month long project as “mission accomplished.” The coordinated project, the Gaza Freedom March, which simultaneously brought over 1,300 activists from 42 countries to Egypt in hope of traveling to Gaza via the Rafah crossing were stymied when Egypt would only permit 93 to enter.
Al Jezeera just reported that Egypt will ban Gaza aid convoys in the future, topping off a saga in which it made clear that Egypt is a fawning ally of the US and Israel. The US government’s silence during the saga is particularly disturbing for many Americans, who are aware of the dire circumstances in Gaza.
Egyptian authorities have announced that all aid convoys traveling to Gaza will be banned from traveling across Egypt after a riot broke out at the Rafah border crossing earlier in the week.
Ahmed Abul Gheit, Egypt’s foreign minister, said in remarks published on Saturday that members of Viva Palestina, the last convoy allowed through, had “committed hostile acts, even criminal ones” on Egyptian soil. “Egypt will no longer allow convoys, regardless of their origin or who is organising them, from crossing its territory,” he told government-backed newspaper Al-Ahram.
More than 50 people were wounded during a clash between Egyptian authorities and international members of the convoy on Tuesday after Egypt decided to allow 139 vehicles to enter Gaza, but said a remaining 59 vehicles would have to pass via Israel.
George Galloway, the British MP leader of the Viva Palestina convoy, was deported by the Egyptian government one day after the convoy entered Gaza. Other convoy members were arrested and remain in Egypt today.
Galloway’s words on landing in London’s Heathrow airport: “It’s always been a badge of honor to be deported by a tin-pot dictator and that’s what happened.”