INSIDE GAZA:CONFUSION REIGNS over the fate of cargo seized by Israel from the six boats of the international flotilla intercepted en route to Gaza last Monday.
Yesterday, Ahmad al-Kurd, welfare minister in Gaza’s de facto Hamas administration, said that the cargo of cement, medicines, water-purification equipment and motorised wheelchairs could not enter Gaza until certain conditions were met. He said Israel must release all passengers on the ships and deliver the entire cargo, not a part of it. He also said that since the voyage was organised by Turkey, Ankara should decide what should happen to the cargo.
Israel said all but three passengers – an Irishman, an Australian and an Italian – remain in custody, while several are receiving treatment in Israeli hospitals. Eight lorries filled with goods are said to be waiting at the Karem Shalom goods crossing awaiting permission to enter Gaza. An unknown number of cargo containers have yet to be unloaded.
On the cargo, Mr Kurd was misinformed about its ownership. The Turkish government has nothing to do with the shipment which was donated by IHH, the Foundation for Human Rights and Freedom, a non-governmental organisation which has provided aid to victims of disasters around the world and sponsors orphans in Africa. It is a well-organised charity with global representatives in Gaza.
Meanwhile, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said: “Until now, Israel has not sent any of the goods to Gaza. We refuse to discuss [the issue] until all of the goods are released. After that we will discuss with the activists if they want their goods to enter Gaza and how. [Whether or not the goods will enter] is not Hamas’s decision alone. The aid does not go to Hamas. It goes to agencies designated” by the international donors.
Amjad Shawa, co-ordinator for the Palestinian Non-Govern- mental Organisation’s Network (PNGO), said some groups that dispatched the aid have designated who should receive it. PNGO has an agreement, for instance, to deliver cement on the Swedish boat to the al-Shifa hospital, the main government hospital located in Gaza City. The cement, he said, is enough for urgently needed repairs. “We have to respect the positions of the people on the boats or the organisers,” he said.
Meanwhile, Jamal Khudari, co-ordinator for the Palestinian committee against the siege, announced that the cargo should be rejected because it is “covered in blood”. However, his remark is not taken seriously here.
The list of goods allowed into Gaza through the Israeli controlled crossings covers some 120 items or categories of items, at present. These include basic food items – flour, rice, cooking oil – fresh fruits and a limited number of medicines. This list, which stood at 81 items in April, was expanded recently, but does not yet include paper for school books, reconstruction materials, children’s toys, chocolate and spare parts for machinery. Pasta was a banned item but is now allowed.