Fears for safety of Irish humanitarians in Gaza as Israel launches air strikes tonight

international | rights, freedoms and repression | news report Friday January 08, 2010 00:19 by Freda H and Fintan Lane - IPSC

There are fears tonight for the safety of several Irish people who entered Gaza yesterday with the Viva Palestina aid convoy. Reports have just reached the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) from both official Palestinian and Israeli sources that the area is under attack by Israeli warplanes.

Israeli Airforce strikes Gaza

It appears that the Israeli Air Force bombed several targets in the Gaza Strip tonight - there were no immediate reports of casualties. According to the reports received by the IPSC, the Israelis stuck targets in Gaza City itself. Flames and smoke were spotted in the strike zones.

This attack may be a disproportionate response the firing of mortar shells into Israel this morning. No injuries were reported from that incident. However, there are also fears within Gaza that Israel is planning a larger assault on the enclave and that tonight's attack may not be over.

The IPSC is gravely concerned at the danger these attacks pose to the Irish aid workers who entered Gaza yesterday. Ten people from Cork, Tyrone and Derry are within Gaza and arrived as part of the Viva Palestina aid convoy. Their names and the contact phone numbers for three of them follow:

From Derry:
Jonathon Crockett,
Eanna O'Donaghaile,
Danny Doyle
Eddie Mc Bride
Derek Mc Chrystal

From Tyrone:
John Hurson
David Callendar

From Cork:
Kate O'Sullivan
Dave Curren
Caoimhe Butterly

The Viva Palestina aid convoy was greeted with scenes of celebration when it arrived via the Rafah crossing yesterday evening. Earlier today, before the air strikes began, John Hurson of Tyrone spoke to the IPSC about the aid distribution situation:

"All the vehicles and aid were handed over to various charities and NGO's. There were very emotional scenes as people said goodbye to their vehicles which had become their homes for the past month on the road. The appreciation from the Palestinians is very hard to put into words, such was the emotions they displayed. For people from all over the world to travel to Gaza in order to deliver aid, really means so much to the stricken region. This was solidarity on a grand scale."

The IPSC now fears for the safety of these brave Irish volunteers who may have difficulty leaving the Gaza strip as planned tomorrow.

Yesterday, following an attack on the convoy and its Irish members in Egypt, the Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin said that his Department was doing everything possible to ensure the safety of Irish volunteers participating in the “Viva Palestina” aid convoy. The IPSC is asking him to ensure similar protection for the Irish volunteers from Israeli bombing raids on Gaza. Mr Martin himself was refused permission to visit Gaza recently by the Israeli authorities.

Earlier on Thursday, the Israel Air Force dropped thousands of leaflets over Gaza, telling Gaza residents to stay away from the border with Israel. One of the leaflets included a map and warned Gazans that anyone who goes within 300 metres of the security fence is "endangering" themselves. Another leaflet urged Gazans to inform to Israel on smugglers and on vital smuggling tunnels, which are Gaza's lifeline to the outside world. It is clear that this is all part of Israel's ongoing attempt to isolate Gaza and force its people into submission. The leaflet drop and tonight's attack are clearly linked, and part of an Israeli attempt to intimidate those bringing aid into the besieged Gaza strip.

The siege of Gaza continues despite the suffering it brings daily to the civilian population. It must end.

Members of the Irish crew earlier on their journey

John Hurson upon arrival in Gaza

Caoimhe Butterly

Kate O'Sullivan and Dave Curran with George Galloway