Forgotten at the Gaza-Egypt border

Electronic Intifada

Eva Bartlett writing from al-Arish, Egypt, Live from Palestine, 17 September 2008

“His father died this morning,” a hotel guest explained, gesturing to Raed, slumped and silent in his chair, face long.

Palestinians Call on Egypt to Open the Rafah Crossing

petition online

24 August, 2008

To the Honorable President Hosni Mubarak, Honorable Omar Suleiman, Interior Minister Habib Ibrahim El Adly and Members of Cabinet,

We, the hundreds of Palestinians waiting at the Rafah crossing in Egypt, call upon your honorable government to allow the entrance of over 600 Palestinians stuck in Egypt and separated from our homes in Gaza due to the continued Rafah border closure.

Sunset over Gaza’s Ocean…As Seen 50 km to the West

published in the Palestine Chronicle

The days are searing heat and sweat-drenched clothing. Most people stay indoors, in air-conditioning, or under shade. Near the sea, tents and umbrellas provide relief from the sun, and the breeze brings both soothing sea air and the lulling ocean rhythm. In the water, everyone is a child, re-discovering buoyancy and the thrill of waves. The squeals of children and adults alike do not mar the tranquility.

shared joy and sadness

Another shared meal –a picnic by the sea. More talk, sad teasing: “Say ‘ameen’ to what I say,” I’m instructed. “Please God, bring this poor man his wife,” the teaser begs, breaking out as I say the obligatory ‘ameen’.

Their teasing is based on the depressing fact that many here have not seen their wives, families, and parents for over a year, or more.

Egypt’s role in keeping Gaza locked

After nearly one month of waiting at the Rafah crossing for Egyptian (Israeli) authorities to give permission to take the van full of medicine to Gaza, and after countless meetings and forms, today, Friday, at 12 noon, Khalil Al Niss arrived at the Rafah crossing to take the van away.

Over the course of the 27 day wait, the Egyptian authorities repeatedly refused suggestions regarding delivering the medical supplies, whether through the Rafah crossing, the Kerem Abu Salem crossing (Kerem Shalom), or via the Egyptian Red Crescent. That, along with the declaration by Israeli authorities, via the PA embassy representative, that there was ‘no way the van would ever cross through Kerem Abu Salem’ led Al Niss to decide, with no other option, to take the van from the crossing and begin the journey home.

solidarity with Gaza: marches to break the siege

Palestinians and supporters gathered Sunday August 10th, the international day of solidarity with Gaza to lift the Israel blockade, in venues throughout Egypt, Palestine and Scotland, to protest the 14 months-long total siege of Gaza and continued closure of Gaza’s crossings. The messages were clear, citing the toll the siege has taken on Palestinians in Gaza–227 medical cases have died as a result of denied exit from Gaza for treatment –and calling on Egyptian President Hosni Mubarek to immediately open and leave open the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza.

Scot with van of medicine told to “take his van and return to Scotland”

**image: Carlos Latuff
After 24 days at the Rafah crossing, with 1.5 tons of urgently needed medicine, which doctors in Gaza are awaiting expectantly, Khalil Al Niss and Linda Willis have exhausted all options for delivering the supplies. Every avenue has been explored, every procedure followed. Tremendous public support in the UK, including MSPs and the First Minister himself, Alex Salmond, has in the end still not persuaded Egyptian authorities to allow humanitarian supplies to pass through their border with Gaza.

on the street?

Abdul Rahman, has a problem, his latest one: his Egyptian sponsor has cut ties with him and will not sponsor him as of Monday, meaning he has only limited time in the hospital after that and will have to return to Gaza, in a very poor state, without having healed and without the needed operations. The hospital care costs 1000 Egyptian pounds a day, roughly $200 a day.

He has a seething open wound on his leg, also a result of the injury that day. His wound is taking a long time to heal. It must first heal properly before doctors can operate on it to fully address the wound. His back is riddled with bedsores. And the larger issue of his waist-down paralysis remains. If he had the money to stay in hospital, each problem would be addressed when time has allowed for partial healing and is right for operating.

updates from a van and a man at Rafah crossing

Willis and Al Niss, with their van of medical supplies, have been at the Rafah crossing since July 20th, and have still not been granted permission to cross into Gaza with the needed supplies. The authorities have had them fill out numerous forms, and requested a letter from their SMPs, which they submitted without any response. Al Niss and WIllis then submitted a copy of the same letter –signed by 6 SMPs –to Palestinian political party members (DFLP) who were en route to Cairo for a meeting with Chief of Intelligence, Omar Suleiman.