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Viva Palestina 5 off to a flying start on mission to break Gaza siege



Viva Palestina 5 left London yesterday to deliver aid for Gaza. The land convoy is part of a pincer movement in combination with a large flotilla that will be arriving by sea at the same time. Two other land convoys are also departing for Gaza shortly, from Casablanca and Doha. The combined efforts make this the biggest attempt so far by international Gaza solidarity activists to break Israel's illegal and inhumane siege. All together about 150 vehicles are expected to enter Egypt at Al-Arish before crossing over into Gaza.
The biggest international aid convoy yet to beleaguered Gaza sets off from London on Saturday.

It aims to break the Israeli siege of the territory and deliver crucial relief supplies.

Two survivors of the Mavi Marmara massacre, Nicci Enchmarch and Kevin Ovenden, are among the activists taking part.

They were on board the ship on May 31 when Israeli commandoes killed nine of their Turkish friends and fellow activists.

Following the attack they were held incommunicado in Israel's Be'er Shiva prison in the Negev desert.

The two will lead the Viva Palestina Lifeline 5 land convoy of 200 vehicles carrying medical supplies, learning aids and materials to build a maternity facility in northern Gaza, a mosque and a school for orphans.

With activists from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Malaysia, the US, Britain and Northern Ireland, Lifeline 5 aims to be the fourth land convoy to break the Israeli siege on Gaza in the past 18 months.

It will liaise with an international flotilla travelling by sea to arrive in Gaza at the same time. more

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