George Galloway stoned in Egypt

From Times Online

March 9, 2009

(reuters)

George Galloway waiting on the Egyptian side of Rafah

Anne Barrowclough

A humanitarian convoy led by maverick MP George Galloway carrying medical supplies for Gaza has come under attack in Egypt

The convoy, carrying aid worth £1 million, was pelted with stones and vandalised after it stopped in El-Arish, a small town around 28 miles from the Rafah border crossing with Gaza.

“It’s an absolute disgrace,” convoy organiser Yvonne Ridley told AFP. “The power was cut. Under cover of darkness members of our convoy were attacked with stones.

“Vandals also wrote dirty words and anti-Hamas slogans,” she said. “Several people in the convoy were injured in the attack.”

The 110-vehicle convoy, organised and led by the Respect MP for Bethnal Green and Bow, set out from London last month with hundreds of volunteers. It arrived in El-Arish, about 45 kilometres (28 miles) from the Rafah passage to Gaza, on Saturday.

A security official said that during a power cut, which is a frequent occurrence in the town, children had pelted the convoy with stones.

The convoy was held up in El-Arish after a dispute arose between organisers and Egyptian officials over the inclusion of non-medical aid in the convoy.

Egyptian officials have said that they would allow medical relief through the Rafah passage to Gaza, which is facing a humanitarian crisis after Israel’s military offensive. However non-medical goods such as food would have to pass through Israel’s crossings with the Palestinian enclave.

“George Galloway is still in negotiations,” said Ms Ridley. “What we have agreed to do is to separate the medical aid from the non-medical aid. The non-medical will go into Gaza via the Egyptian Red Crescent.”

The convoy is expected to continue to Gaza today.

In early February, it was alleged that three Islamist terror suspects arrested in northwest England had planned to leave the country under cover of Mr Galloway’s convoy. Intelligence sources said that the men were planning a terrorist operation abroad.

Tags: Egypt, Gaza, George Galloway, humanitarian convoy, israeli attack on Gaza, Rafah border crossing