Border authorities allow 400 activists to cross into Gaza
MENA AFP

Sun, 18/11/2012 - 20:23

Egyptian border authorities have allowed 400 political activists to cross
into the Gaza Strip to express solidarity with Palestinians, as Israeli
airstrikes pounded the coastal enclave for a fifth day, organizers said.

“We want the free world to stop the onslaught on defenseless civilians,”
said Mahmoud Ali of the Constitution Party, according to state-owned news
agency MENA. “We want to relay to the steadfast Palestinian people the
support of all Egyptians.”

“We brought them medical supplies in coordination with the Egyptian Red
Crescent,” said activist Amira Sheaishaa.

A five-bus convoy transporting members of several Egyptian parties and
political movements arrived at the country's Rafah border crossing with
Gaza, officials said.

"We all entered through Rafah border ... 100s now attempting to enter Gaza,"
activist Gigi Ibrahim said on her Twitter account, according to AFP.

Israeli air strikes on Sunday killed at least 21 Palestinians in the
bloodiest day of its massive air campaign to halt rocket fire from the Gaza
Strip.

Since the operation was launched on Wednesday, 67 Palestinians have been
killed and more than 600 injured, while three Israelis have died and more
than 50 have been injured by rocket fire.

Egypt is at the center of efforts to broker a ceasefire. Security officials
in Cairo said an Israeli envoy also arrived in the Egyptian capital on
Sunday for talks.

Under former President Hosni Mubarak, relief convoys were seldom allowed to
cross into Gaza.

This article is an edited combination of an AFP wire story and a MENA story
translated from Arabic