Egyptian activists to send aid convoy to Gaza

A number of Egyptian activists have decided to prepare a popular aid convoy headed to the Gaza strip in support of the Palestinian people, Moataza Abdel Sabour, an initiative participant, told Aswat Masriya on Thursday.

“The convoy will be dependent on grass root donations. The participation of political parties will be limited to the collection and storage of medical aid or similar help,” Abdel Sabour said, adding that he does not expect the convey to head to Gaza before a week, so that all the necessary aid materials are supplied and cross permits are attained.

“The campaign has communicated with the people of Gaza and we have attained a list of the urgent needs,” the Popular Campaign to Support the Palestinian People said on its Facebook page.

At least 76 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s bombing raid, more than 50 of them civilians, Gaza medical officials said.

Israel has described its strike as a possibly prolonged attack on Palestinian militants in response to Hamas rockets on Israeli cities.

The attacks started one day after the bodies of three missing Israeli teenagers were found dead in the occupied West Bank, who Israel said were kidnapped and killed by Islamist group Hamas.

Egypt declared an emergency state on the border with Gaza on Wednesday following the air-strikes.

“In response to calls by Egyptians, a number of activists and concerned people held a meeting on Wednesday to revive the ‘Popular Campaign to Support the Palestinian People’ that was first established during the second intifada in September 2000,” said the campaign’s page on Facebook.

At least 150 houses have been demolished and 900 Palestinians have been displaced in Gaza since the attacks began, according to the Palestine-based OCHA (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs).