Galloway Arrives in Egypt to Join Gaza Aid Convoy

07/03/2009 | AlmanarTV

Controversial British MP George Galloway arrived in Cairo on Saturday to join a convoy that had set out from London last month carrying relief for war-torn Gaza, an airport official said.

Galloway, who has called Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak an "international criminal" for not permanently opening the Rafah crossing into Gaza, was met by officials from Mubarak's ruling National Democratic Party.

Local media reported that several opposition groups, which had been campaigning for the opening of the crossing, cancelled a planned reception for the convoy when it crossed from Libya on Thursday.

The Egyptian government arrested dozens of opposition members who demonstrated against Israel's December and January offensive on Gaza, which left more than 1,300 Palestinians dead, including 420 children. Egypt opened its Rafah border crossing with Gaza to aid and Palestinian wounded during part of the war, but has since closed it to aid.

The convoy includes 12 ambulances and a fire engine and carries more than one million pounds (1.4 million dollars, 1.1 million Euros) worth of aid.

North Sinai Governor Mohammed Shosha, who was preparing a reception for the convoy in Sinai, told AFP Egypt would allow Galloway and members of the convoy to enter Gaza through Rafah, but that entry of the convoy itself would have to be coordinated with
Israel.