VIVA PALESTINA CONVOY TO LEAVE FOR EL-ARISH, EGYPT BY CHARTERED FLIGHT

From Kuzaimah Idris

LATTAKIA PORT (Syria), Jan 4 (Bernama) -- The Viva Palestina convoy is
scheduled to leave for El-Arish, Egypt on a chartered flight at 4am Monday.

Viva Palestina convoy leader, Kevin Ovenden said the Egyptian authorities
had given verbal permission but the convoy was pushing for a written
confirmation for the contingent members to land in the Egyptian territory.

Once the matter was solved the first group would leave at 4am Monday as
their arrival in El-Arish should coincide with the arrival of the vehicles and
aid on board the ship from Lattakia Port.

The cargo ship - Ulosoy 6, which was supposed to sail Saturday had to
postponed soon after all vehicles were loaded on the ship while another delay
was caused by bad weather.

However, the private ship from Istanbul left the Lattakia port for El-Arish
port at 9am Sunday and the journey through the Mediterranean Sea would take
longer due to certain circumstances.

It was understood that the ship will have to sail further west, the route
which will take up approximately 22 hours, four extra hours from the earlier
schedule.

The member convoy, both contingent members and the vehicles are hoping to
reach the Rafah border by Tuesday morning.

The convoy started off from London on Dec 6 and had earlier planned to reach
Gaza by Dec 27, a year after the Zionist atrocities against the Palestinians.

The 500-member convoy comprising representatives from 17 countries,
including Malaysia, are on their way to deliver aid worth US$1 million (RM3.5
million) to the Palestinians in Gaza.
-- BERNAMA