CAIRO: A foreign delegation from the International Movement to Open the Rafah Border has been camped out in front of the crossing since Saturday to call for the permanent opening of the Egypt-Gaza border.
Member of the delegation Don Bryant, who, along with two others, began a hunger strike Tuesday in protest at the removal of a Palestinian-Belgian from near the crossing, said that the delegation was more concerned with the border opening permanently than with them being allowed into Gaza.
“I’m not trying to get in, we want the border opened permanently and an end to the siege, he said.
Bryant added in a statement, “I was inspired by a Palestinian Belgian, Mohammad, who joined our camp but was driven away by border security late last night. Mohammad told me of a 17-day hunger strike he did with other prisoners in an Israeli prison.
“They were on strike to gain simple accommodation in the prison. I am doing the same to ask the US, Israel, Palestinian Authority and Egypt to open the border to Gaza, so that 1.5 million Gazans can get food and medicine, and can rebuild after Israeli military strikes that have left the Gaza Strip decimated.
The eight-strong delegation is accompanied at the border by others, mainly Palestinians, wanting to get into Gaza, including a German woman and her six children aged 2-12, who wants to enter Gaza to join her Palestinian husband and three other children.
Nine Swedish-Palestinians, including four children are also camped with the delegation at the border crossing.
The crossing is due to be temporarily opened today for injured people seeking treatment in Egypt and is expected to be opened for other Palestinians at the end of June. A number of Palestinian athletes crossed into Egypt Tuesday to seek treatment for injuries in Tunisia.
Sinai stringer and Tagammu party member Khalil Jabr Sawarka was briefly detained Thursday by State Security in the town of Sheikh Zowayed while accompanying the delegation who were then trying to reach the crossing.
The MENA news agency reported Tuesday that the Supreme Administrative Court would rule July 5 on the government’s appeal regarding an administrative court’s previous decision to allow activists to send aid to Gaza through channels not approved by the government.
The administrative court’s decision allowed donations headed to Gaza to be transported within Egyptian borders by anyone until they reach the Rafah crossing where they would be turned over to either Egyptian or Palestinian authorities.
The government, represented by the State Judicial Authority, wants to appeal this decision and reverse the verdict.
