Gaza Freedom March blocked by Egypt from entering Gaza

Peter Offord, from Norwich Stop the War Group, is with the Gaza Freedom March, which like the Viva Palestina convoy has been refused entry to Gaza. He has been under house arrest in the heavily guarded 5 Star Swiss Inn in El Arish, which is 40 kilometres from the Rafah crossing into Gaza.

Holocaust survivor Hedy Epstein, 85, on hunger strike

The 1000 strong freedom marchers, who came from all over the world with tens of thousands of dollars worth of medical aid, school supplies and clothing to take to Gaza, have been protesting outside embassies in Cairo and in Sadat Square in El Arish.

The Egyptian foreign minister, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, said the marchers were trying "to conspire against us, and they are more than a thousand, we will leave them in the street."

Holocaust survivor

One protester, Hedy Epstein, 85, a Holocaust survivor, arrived in Egypt from the United States on Saturday. She said she started a hunger strike on Monday.

"My message is for the world governments to wake up and treat Israel like they treat any other country and not to be afraid to reprimand and criticize Israel for its violent policies vis-à-vis the Palestinians," Ms. Epstein said.

"I brought a suitcase full of things, pencils, pens, crayons, writing paper to take to children in Gaza — I can’t take that back home."

Political demonstrations are banned in Egypt, but that didn't stop many hundreds of local Egyptians, Palestinians and other Arab peoples flocking to the Square in solidarity. Political protest carries 5 years imprisonent.

As the protestors tried to move out of Sadat Square they were blocked by the army and by uniformed and plain clothes police. Scuffles and angry confrontations ensued.

Meanwhile in Cairo negotiations were continuing with the Egyptian government to get the ban on entering Gaza lifted.

President's wife

The Foreign Minister is apparently enraged and feels that the Presidents wife undermined his "no" to all delegates by allowing some to go forward to deliver humanitarian aid under the auspices of her leadership as the chair of the Red Crescent.

Doctors, priests, teachers, Hasidic Jews against Zionism, lawyers, therapists, NGO workers and those with an humanitarian purpose were to be given priority, but there was a frantic last minute push to get representation from every country participating in the march, but they only went as individuals and not in the name of the Gaza Freedom March, the organisers of which rejected the limits on who could enter Gaza.