Facing this critical situation, the international community drafted a letter to the Egyptian government supporting the international grassroots initiative to send an aid convoy to Gaza through Rafah. The letter was initiated by the Arab International Centre for Communications and Solidarity and signed by more than 12,500 people from Egypt, other Arab countries and international supporters (including this author).

It petitioned the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Egypt to issue “a permit to send an aid convoy to Gaza through Rafah, whereby petitioners and other volunteers will steer and accompany the convoy at their own risk.” AICCS called upon all free people and all Arab and international entities and individuals “to support this initiative by either volunteering to partake in the convoy and/or to express support for this initiative through statements and letters.”

A meeting scheduled to be held on March 12 to discuss this with the Ministry was canceled at the last moment by the Ministry without rescheduling. Obviously, the big [neo]imperialist power (the U.S.) doesn’t want to allow international efforts to break the U.S.-backed […] blockade that prevents humanitarian assistance from reaching the people of Gaza fighting for justice. Also, those in Egypt who profit from continuing the blockade, including some international Non-Governmental Organizations, would lose out.

However, international activists aren’t giving up. There have been many international medical activists from different grassroots NGOs and humanitarian organizations who have entered Gaza to help people and who have filed factual reports to the world.