Dear Friends and Comrades,
As a Viva Palestina Team Leader myself, for me to make the decision to leave the convoy due to a serious family medical emergency was extremely difficult and knowing what my Brothers and Sisters are going through right now will lead me back to rejoining the convoy as soon as possible!
Having travelled over 3000 miles with the convoy this time around I can only describe this as a unique experience that I did not feel in the 1st convoy to Gaza. This time the convoy was much more organised and the volunteers are more relaxed and determined in putting their full efforts forward in breaking the illegal siege with peaceful means.
Volunteer's on route to Gaza are constantly reminded of Israel in group meetings, of the 1400 victims who died and 5000 injured of the attacks during the 22 day bombardment by Israel. The overall morale of the volunteers is high and determined with a slight anxiety of tomorrow in the air, all volunteers were constantly strong in the thought that there was going to be a possibilities of not getting into Gaza straight away and that they will need to make arrangements to sit it out.
Today volunteers are on a hunger protest to outline their disagreement with Egypt in not allowing the peaceful Humanitarian Aid convoy on Egyptian ground to drive to Gaza. - This just proves the fact that Egypt is managed and instructed by Israel to make their diplomatic moves and decisions to please only Israel,
We must remember that all volunteers have been consuming their own food stock along the way, however locals in Jordan and Syria are helping to stock pile food for the volunteers, this has been a further boost to the volunteers moral knowing that the people of Jordan are in support of their Humanitarian Convoy.
Speaking to team members on the convoy they are prepared to sit it out indefinitely. Their determination to get the medical Aid to the suffering people of Gaza is inspirational and they are distracted from their own needs and creature comforts.
I am in constant touch with my team and other volunteers on the convoy and sending them messages of support and am reassuring them that they are not on their own and that all their family, friends and colleagues are doing every thing in their power to protest to the Egyptian officials by means of direct phone calls, email and pressure through their local MP.
Regards
Talat Ali
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