EL-ARISH, Egypt (Ma’an) -- Egyptian authorities have restricted the amount of Qatari fuel entering the Gaza Strip through an Egyptian crossing with Israel, an Egyptian source said Monday. While the Al-Ouja crossing in Egypt's northern Sinai has the capacity for ten trucks of fuel per day, Egypt only permits six trucks to cross, the official said, noting that this amount cannot meet Gaza's energy needs. The Egyptian source said an estimated four million liters of Qatari fuel have arrived in the Gaza Strip in recent weeks. Gaza had been plagued by a fuel crisis since mid-February, when Egypt cut off supplies via a tunnel network under the border between the countries. more

A Gaza-bound aid convoy arrived in the Egyptian city of Arish, North Sinai on Sunday. North Sinai Governorate official, Gaber al-Araby, who also heads the Egyptian Red Crescent in the governorate, said preparations are underway to allow the convoy, called "Miles of Smiles 4", to transfer its cargo to the strip. He told reporters that the convoy had arrived at Cairo International Airport before moving to Arish by land. The convoy includes 35 activists from Spain, the UK and Bahrain, carrying nearly three tons of medicines and other relief supplies. More

JERUSALEM (AFP) -- Israel's security cabinet was to convene on Monday for a second day of discussions on how to stave off an international flotilla intending to breach the naval blockade of Gaza, local media said. On Sunday, ministers in the forum were told of the military's preparations for the 10-ship convoy which is expected to set sail from Greece later this week. "Yesterday, the ministers decided not to allow the ships to anchor in the Gaza Strip, although they will be allowed to unload their cargo at [the Israeli port] of Ashdod or the Egyptian port of El-Arish," Israeli army radio said. "If no weapons or ammunition are found, the cargo will be transferred in its entirety to Gaza." Public radio said Cairo had already agreed to allow the ships to dock at El-Arish, a Mediterranean port which lies some 50 kilometers west of Egypt's border with Gaza. more

From almasry alyoum A Gaza-bound aid ship has docked at the city of Arish in North Sinai and is preparing to transport its cargo by land, Egyptian authorities declared on Sunday. The Miles of Smiles is currently unloading, Secretary General for North Sinai Governorate Gaber al-Araby said. It is carrying 12 ambulances, baby milk and other humanitarian aid, he said in a press statement... ...The vessel, hoisting a Moldovian flag, departed from Venice, Italy. The aid is expected to pass into Gaza through Egypt’s Rafah land crossing. Palestinian news reports believe 60 activists of different nationalities are on board. more

From the International movement for a Just World The International Movement for a Just World (JUST) is glad that The Spirit of Rachel Corrie has been allowed to dock at El Arish port in Egypt. It took the Egyptian authorities 8 days to make that decision. This is a matter of great regret. The humanitarian aid that the Malaysian owned cargo ship has been carrying, namely, 7.5 kilometres of pipes that would help restore the devastated sewerage system in Palestinian Gaza, can now be delivered to Gaza by land. The repair and restoration of the sewerage system is essential for the rebuilding of Gaza’s infrastructure destroyed by Israel’s brutal assault upon the strip in December 2008 and January 2009. It is hoped that the Egyptian authorities will expedite the delivery of this aid to Gaza. The peace activists on The Spirit of Rachel Corrie, a number of whom are Malaysians, had initially tried to break the Israeli siege of Gaza and deliver the aid material directly to the people of Gaza. It ...

EL-ARISH, May 24 ( Bernama ) -- The mission to send PVC pipes to Gaza is expected to continue by land following the Egyptian authorities' decision to allow the MV Finch carrying humanitarian aid to berth and unload the cargo at El-Arish Port. Bernama reporter Mohd Faizal Hassan via SMS text to the national news agency's headquarters in Kuala Lumpur texted: "It is understood that the Egyptian foreign minister has given permission (for the ship) to berth and unload the goods today...InsyaAllah (God willing), we will be on land." The MV Finch has been stranded outside El-Arish Port for a week, waiting for the Egyptian authorities to allow it to berth at the port and now the ship's engine has broke down. more

From Perdana Global Peace Foundation 9:42 am KL (24/5/11) Egypt time 3:42 am (24/5/11): We are back at the port’s waiting area with a broken steering. The team’s spirit is high and resolute. We have surmounted many difficulties and sabotage and came through. The team, led by the team leader, have upheld their dignity and the justice of their cause by standing up to the futile attempt to humiliate them by unreasonable detention of their ship, crew, and passengers for 7 days. They even forced us to sail towards international waters – away from the shortest route to Gaza – and towards the Israeli naval ships waiting to capture and or shoot us down as we discovered later. By the Grace of God, we were saved from this insidious scheme and remain victorious. more

UPDATE, Monday 23 May, at 13.30pm EDT, 20.30pm local time The Spirit of Rachel Corrie is back in Egyptian territorial waters. The crew and passengers are safe. The Malaysian Embassy in Cairo has advised that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has granted permission to the ship to berth in the port of Al Arish tomorrow May 24th and unload its cargo. This decision by Egypt's Foreign Minister Nabil Al Arabi, which remains to be confirmed, is of fundamental importance. Mr. Al Arabi had indicated almost month ago his resolve to open the border at Rafah and end the Gaza blockade. more

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AFP) - A Malaysian aid ship attempting to land in Gaza after being warned off by Israeli naval forces last week has been forced to abort its mission after engine trouble, activists said. Matthias Chang, who is heading the mission for the Perdana Global Peace Foundation, told AFP on Monday that the MV Finch was now stuck six nautical miles from Egypt's Al-Arish port. "At about 5:30pm local time, our vessel developed engine trouble and we lost our steering capability, so we had to stop our attempt to reach Gaza by sea," he said more

From Bernama JITRA, May 21 ( Bernama ) -- The Perdana Global Peace Foundation (PGPF) will continue with its mission to send humanitarian aid to besieged Gaza Strip despite its aid ship, the MV Finch, encountering a number of problems and obstacles. PGPF advisor Datuk Mukhriz Tun Mahathir said the foundation had from the outset realised the risks involved in undertaking the endeavour. Mukhriz hoped that the cargo vessel, which had been blocked by Israeli forces from approaching Gaza, would be allowed to berth at the El-Arish port by the Egyptian authorities... ... "Food supplies have been brought to the ship but it's facing dwindling water supply," said Mukhriz. He expressed hope that the Egyptian authorities would be more considerate, given that the sole objective of the mission was to deliver much-needed humanitarian supplies to Gazans. "We also hope that Wisma Putra (Malaysian Foreign Ministry) would be able to help us out. We consider Egypt as a friend of ours,...

Egypt, despite promises to the contrary, has still not allowed MV Finch (Spirit of Rachel Corrie) to berth at El Arish. EL-ARISH (Egypt), May 20 ( Bernama ) -- Matthias Chang, 61, leader of the Malaysian humanitarian aid mission to Gaza has gone on a hunger strike since Thursday evening onboard the cargo ship, MV Finch, in protest against the refusal of the authorities here to allow the ship to enter El-Arish Port. The action was taken immediately after the Egyptian army turned away the vessel from the port area, according to Bernama reporter Mohd Faizal Hassan, who is among 12 passengers, including humanitarian activists, and crew members onboard the MV Finch via SMS Friday. more There is also a report in the Star which says that provisions were allowed on to the ship Friday morning: Perdana Global Peace Foundation spokesperson Shamsul Azhar thanked the Egyptian authorities for their assistance adding that the supplies, provided Friday morning, were currently sufficient... ... When a...

EL-ARISH (Egypt), May 18 ( Bernama ) -- It has been two days since Malaysian humanitarian aid ship MV Finch anchored at the waiting area off El-Arish Port but has yet to receive clear signals if it will be allowed to come to shore, Bernama's correspondent Mohd Faizal Hassan said in a SMS note to Bernama's heaquarters here Wednesday... ...There was only about four tonnes of fresh water left and rationing had been enforced, he said, adding that frantic calls had been made between the ship and El -Arish Port authority, shipping agents in Greece and Egypt as well as Malaysian Embassy officials in Egypt. Mohd Faizal said it was unclear whether the delay was due to illegal use of Egyptian waters to sneak into Gaza, an act that can be slapped with a fine, or due to incomplete documentation from the shipping agent in Greece where the ship originated. more

More on what happened aboard MV Finch (Spirit of Rachel Corrie). Initially it was reported by Global Research that the Egyptians cooperated with the Israelis but it turns out their role was far more supportive of the aid activists. When the Israeli navy became aware of the presence of the Egyptians - and that the vessel they were threatening to board was in Egyptian waters - they had second thoughts about persisting with their piracy. The following exchange took place between the Israeli navy and the ship as reported by the Free Malaysia Today journalist on board the Spirit of Rachel Corrie: "Israeli army: This is a warning shot. Turn around. Captain Jalil Mansor: We are unarmed civilians on a humanitarian mission to Gaza. Israeli army: This is a closed military zone. It’s a violation. Turn around. Mansor: We will continue (the mission). The Israelis then headed to the back of the aid vessel and released a second warning shot into the air. ...