Χτύπησαν το viva palestina τα αιγυπτιακά ματ ΑΝΤΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΗ

περισσότεροι από 10 τραυματίες, 4 σοβαρά, και 7 συλλήψεις. Το καθεστώς του Μουμπάρακ δείχνει το πραγματικό του πρόσωπο απέναντι στην Παλαιστίνη και στους αλληλέγγυους που αγωνίζονται για να σπάσει ο αποκλεισμός-πολιορκία στη Γάζα.



Viva Palestina: More Than 10 Injured, Seven Arrested, Including A Malaysian

From Kuzaimah Idris



EL-ARISH PORT, Jan 6 (Bernama) -- More than 10 members of the Viva Palestina convoy were injured, four of them seriously, and seven members arrested by Egyptian police during a protest here Tuesday at 11.40pm local time.

Among those arrested was a Malaysian, Ibrahim Mohd Azmi, a University of Bristol medical student who was a convoy volunteer.

The protest was staged by Viva Palestina convoy members to protest against the decision by the Eqyptian government to bar 59 convoy vehicles from leaving here for Gaza.

Egyptian police acted strongly against the convoy members three hours after the protest was staged at the entry and exit security point at this port.

Four members were seriously injured and had to be taken to hospital for further treatment.

More than 10 members sustained light injuries due to thrown rocks and tear gas.

Also arrested were three Britons, two Americans and a Kuwaiti.

According to witnesses, the incident was provoked by agents provocateurs of the Egyptian government.

Earlier, the convoy members had gathered and formed a human wall to protest against the decision to disallow the 59 vehicles from leaving the port.

The Egyptians deployed 189 anti-riot personnel equipped with water cannon and tear gas.

According to Viva Palestina leader George Galloway, there are negotiations at the highest level by Turkish authorities with the Egyptian government including for the release of all those detained.

At the time of this report at 4.10am local time, the situation was calm although observation and enclosure was still on by the Egyptian authorities.

The Viva Palestina Convoy is made up of 450 people from various countries with 220 vehicles in a mission to send humanitarian aid like food, medicines and school equipment worth more than US$1 million to Palestinians in Gaza.

The mission began in London on Dec 9 last year and has moved through various places in Turkey, Syria and Jordan.

The convoy was supposed to arrive in Gaza on Dec 27 but was held up by the Egyptian government which refused to allow use of the port of Nuweiba for entry to Rafah before arriving in Gaza.

As a result, they had to return to Syria to find another way to reach Rafah to go into Gaza.

-- BERNAMA

me 2 τραυματίες παλαιστίνιοι, η συμλοκή άρχισε με την διαμαρτυρία παλαιστινίων με αφορμή τον αποκλεισμό του Viva Palestina και την επίθεση που δέχτηκε από τις αιγυπτιακές αρχές

ethal clashes at Gaza-Egypt border


Egyptian forces clashed with members of the Viva Palestina convoy late on Tuesday [GALLO/GETTY]
At least one Egyptian border guard has been killed and two Palestinians shot and wounded along the Gaza border during fierce clashes with Egyptian security forces.

A border protest on Wednesday turned violent over frustration that the aid convoy, Viva Palestina, had been delayed.

Egyptian forces opened fire to disperse stone-throwing protesters who had gathered on the Gaza side of the Rafah border crossing, witnesses and medics said.

Gaza's Hamas leaders had called for the rally to protest the delay of the Viva Palestina international aid convoy at Egypt's port city of al-Arish.

Al Jazeera's Ayman Mohyeldin, reporting from Gaza, said the situation had calmed considerably shortly thereafter.

"Senior officials from Palestinian security forces have arrived at the border [and] they have calmed the situation down. They were able to push back the thousand or so protesters and rock-throwers who had gathered here.

"About an hour ago, a rally that had been organised by Hamas to criticise Egypt's denial to allow the Viva Palestina convoy to make its way into Gaza with much needed aid was held here.

"Shortly after that concluded, Palestinians started throwing rocks at Egyptian security personnel on the other side of the border and we heard an exchange of gunfire. We have been able to confirm that two Palestinians have been injured as a result of that gunfire."

Aid convoy delayed

Wednesday's fighting followed a clash late on Tuesday between Egyptian authorities and international members of the Viva Palestina convoy, which is destined for the Gaza Strip.

At least 55 people were injured in those clashes when 520 activists broke down a gate at the port in al-Arish to protest against an Egyptian decision to ship some of the goods through Israel.

In depth

'Fighting to break Gaza siege'
Egypt blocks US activists' march
Viva Palestina's bumpy road
Video: Gaza aid held up in Jordan

The protests were sparked by an Egyptian decision to allow 139 vehicles to enter Gaza through the Rafah crossing, about 45km from the port in al-Arish, but requiring a remaining 59 vehicles to pass via Israel.

The convoy, led by George Galloway, a British MP, had already been delayed by more than a week, after he and a delegation of Turkish MPs failed to persuade the Egyptians to change their mind.

Fawzi Barhoum, a Hamas spokesman, criticised Egyptian authorities on Wednesday for "reinforcing the seige on Gaza".

"Around 40 Arab, Islamic and European states have mobilized financial and media support to lift the siege imposed on Gaza Strip," he told Al Jazeera.

"Why does not Egypt go along this path of solidarity with Gaza Strip? Such practices are outrageous, inhumane and unethical.

"Our expectations from Egypt and its security authorities are high, but it seems that these expectations are being smashed by batons, hot water and the brutal beating of hundreds of supporters in al-Arish port ...".

Disputed route

The convoy of nearly 200 vehicles arrived in al-Arish on Monday after a dispute with Cairo on the route.

But the arrival came after a bitter dispute between its organisers and the government, which banned the convoy from entering Egypt's Sinai from Jordan by ferry, forcing it to drive north to the Syrian port of Lattakia.

The convoy with 210 lorries full of medicine and other supplies set out from the UK nearly a month ago.

Israel and Egypt have severely restricted travel to and from the Gaza Strip since Hamas seized power there in June 2007, after winning Palestinian legislative elections in 2006.

The blockade currrently allows only very basic supplies into Gaza.

The siege has severely restricted essential supplies and placed Gazans in a dire situation, made worse by Israel's military assault last winter that reduced much of the territory to ruins.