- Title: MIDEAST: Israel set to transfer some flotilla aid to Gaza
- Date: 2nd June 2010
- Summary: KEREM SHALOM CROSSING, ISRAEL-GAZA BORDER (JUNE 1, 2010) (REUTERS) SIGN READING: 'KEREM SHALOM CROSSING POINT' TRUCKS LOADED WITH AID DRIVING INTO CROSSING (SOUNDBITE) (English) ORI SINGER ARMY SPOKESMAN SAYING: "We categorise, itemise and organise the goods, those goods that will meet the policy, the Israeli policy visa vi the the Gaza Strip shipment will be allowed entry in cordially fashion to the Gaza Strip through the Kerem Shalom crossing. At the moment we are working with the international community as well as the Palestinian authority to co-ordinate the entry of the allowed goods into Gaza" TRUCK AT CROSSING BEING UNLOADED RAFAH, GAZA (JUNE 1, 2010) (REUTERS) GHAZI HAMAD, RESPONSIBLE FOR CROSSINGS FROM THE GAZA SIDE HAND (SOUNDBITE) (English) GHAZI HAMAD RESPONSIBLE FOR CROSSINGS FROM THE GAZA SIDE SAYING: "Most of the goods are not permitted to enter Gaza, like building materials, cement, iron, electric equipment. What is allowed to enter Gaza is very few it's like fruits frozen meat, eggs, oil some agriculture medicine and clothes." HAMAD'S FACE (SOUNDBITE) (English) GHAZI HAMAD RESPONSIBLE FOR CROSSINGS FROM THE GAZA SIDE SAYING: "So I can say that there is a real blockade imposed in Gaza and the Palestinian citizens here in gaza they suffer rom the absence and the lack of 90% of the essential materials which are very important to people here in the gaza Strip" VARIOUS OF GRAFFITI ON THE WALL AT RAFAH BORDER DEPICTING THE SUFFERING FROM THE SIEGE JERUSALEM (JUNE 1, 2010) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION BUILDING WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION FLAG (SOUNDBITE) (English) ANTHONY LAURANCE HEAD OF OFFICE OF THE WHO FOR WEST BANK AND GAZA SAYING: "In the health sector if you look at medical equipment for example there are hundreds, hundreds of medical items that we have been trying to get into Gaza for up to a year" WHO BANNER (SOUNDBITE) (English) ANTHONY LAURANCE HEAD OF OFFICE OF THE WHO FOR WEST BANK AND GAZA SAYING: "These items include x-rays, fluoroscopes units, CT. scanners, units for insuring uninterrupted power supplies absolutely vital items to keep the health system going" LAURANCE TALKING TO REPORTER (SOUNDBITE) (English) ANTHONY LAURANCE HEAD OF OFFICE OF THE WHO FOR WEST BANK AND GAZA SAYING: "The siege as far as the health sector is concerned has been pretty severe since June 2007. We've had more constructive discussions over the last year with the Israeli authority about enabling more equipment to get in and more staff to get trained, so far there has been little of easement on staff, but we are yet to see quicker movement of equipment and that's urgently needed we also must get in some supplies to repair the hospital infrastructure to repair the hospital infrastructure, to complete building projects and so on, there is a greta population there, the health service is less and less able to meet its needs" KEREM SHALOM CROSSING, ISRAEL-GAZA BORDER (JUNE 1, 2010) (REUTERS) FORKLIFT MOVING MOBILITY SCOOTER OUT OF TRUCK INTO CROSSING PAPER STUCK ON BACK OF MOBILITY SCOOTER READING: 'SOFIA' TRUCK CARRYING MOBILITY SCOOTER FROM ONE OF THE FLOTILLA SHIPS WIDE OF TRUCKS
- Embargoed: 17th June 2010 13:00
- Keywords:
- Topics: International Relations
- Reuters ID: LVAF0CA7HTZT4JDK90HWRF6C9ZNA
- Story Text: Israel received some trucks of aid which they said were from the Freedom Flotilla, at the Kerem Shalom crossing bordering the blockaded Gaza Strip on Tuesday (June 1) a day after violently intercepting aTurkish-backed aid convoy at sea that left nine activists dead.
"We categorise, itemise and organise the goods, those goods that will meet the policy, the Israeli policy visa vi the the Gaza Strip shipment will be allowed entry in cordially fashion to the Gaza Strip through the Kerem Shalom crossing. At the moment we are working with the international community as well as the Palestinian authority to co-ordinate the entry of the allowed goods into Gaza," an army spokesman, Ori Singer, said as trucks made their way into the Israeli side of the Kerem Shalom crossing.
Hundreds of international activists were arrested aboard Turkish-backed aid ships bound for Gaza in a naval operation that left 9 people dead and around 20 wounded. Most of the dead were Turks, one senior Israeli officer said.
European nations, as well as the United Nations and Turkey, voiced shock and outrage at the bloody end to the international campaigners' bid to break Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip.
Boarding from dinghies and rappelling from helicopters, Israeli naval commandos stopped six ships, 700 people and 10,000 tonnes of supplies from reaching the Islamist-run Palestinian enclave -- but bloody miscalculation left Israel isolated and condemned.
"Most of the goods are nor permitted to enter Gaza, like building materials, cement, iron, electric equipment. What is allowed to enter Gaza is very few it's like fruits frozen meat, eggs, il some agriculture medicine and clothes," Ghazi Hamad, responsible for coordinating with the Israeli and Egyptian sides told Reuters.
"So I can say that there is a real blockade imposed in Gaza and the Palestinian citizens here in gaza they suffer rom the absence and the lack of 90% of the essential materials which are very important to people here in the gaza Strip," Hamad added.
Restrictions placed on supplies to Gaza, home to some 1.5 million Palestinians were tightened after Hamas won the elections in 2006 and when they took complete control of the territory by force in 2007. The Israeli offensive Cast Led offensive, to stop Hamas firing rockets into Israel, also added to the dire humanitarian situation inside the Gaza Strip.
Imposing the Gaza blockade with Egyptian help, Israel says it restricts the supply of materials that could be used for military purposes by Hamas and other armed groups which say they are bent on the destruction of the Jewish state.
"In the health sector if you look at medical equipment for example there are hundreds, hundreds of medical items that we have been trying to get into Gaza for up to a year," Anthony Laurance head of office of the World Health Organisation for West Bank and Gaza explains.
"These items include x-rays, fluoroscopes units, CT. scanners, units for insuring uninterrupted power supplies absolutely vital items to keep the health system going," Laurance added.
A U.N. report released in January said 1,103 patients sought permits for treatment in Israel in December 2009. Most succeeded but 21 percent were denied or delayed. As a result patients missed their hospital appointments and had to restart the process.
The report said that two patients died recently while awaiting referral, one in November and one in December. In total, the report says that 27 patients have died while awaiting referral in 2009.
Sixty seven-year-old Mohammed Abdel-Al, who was undergoing dialysis this week, said he had to wait four months for surgery in Israel to prepare for his dialysis.
"The siege as far as the health sector is concerned has been pretty severe since June 2007. We've had more constructive discussions over the last year with the ISraeli authority about enabling more equipment to get in and more staff to get trained, so far there has been little of easement on staff, but we are yet to see quicker movement of equipment and that's urgently needed we also must get in some supplies to repair the hospital infrastructure to repair the hospital infrastructure, to complete building projects and so on, there is a greater population there, the health service is less and less able to meet its needs," Laurance told Reuters.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also voiced regret as he cut short a visit to Canada and rang president Obama to call off a White House meeting that had been planned for Tuesday.
For all his regret, he vowed to maintain a three-year-old embargo to stop Iranian-backed Hamas from bringing arms to Gaza.
Israeli military officials said nine activists died on the Mavi Marmara, a Turkish cruise ship carrying nearly 600 people.
The bloodshed sparked street protests and government ire in Turkey, long Israel's lone Muslim ally in the region. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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