A Union of Good website is reporting that a “Miles of Smiles” convoy has succeeded in entering Gaza. According to the report:
Essam Yusuf
Gaza – 2013-11-19 The aid campaign ‘Miles of Smiles’ and ‘Ansar’ convoys said that they succeeded in entering to the besieged Gaza today with quantities of canned sacrificial meat, in addition to quantities of missing medicines that were donated by Egypt’s Doctors Union, with a cost of $435.000.
This achievement in bringing relief material to Gaza, is the fruit of coordination measures between ‘Miles of Smiles’ campaign and ‘Ansar’ convoys , from one part, that started since several months, and with the Egyptian authorities, from other part.
Dr.Issam Mustafa, the general coordinator of ‘ Miles of Smiles’ convoys , in a statement to Amman based Humanityvoice, talked about a meeting that took place recently, during which the Egyptian officials expressed a great understanding regarding the tragic living conditions experienced by the people of Gaza, especially after the stoppage of Gaza power station, as result of lacking the necessary fuel to operate it, and the negative repercussions of this situation on all life aspects, the health sector in particular.
Dr.Issam expressed hopes that such coordination, with the Egyptian authorities, would continue with the aim of serving the humanitarian objectives of ‘Miles of Smiles’ aid campaign, and to alleviate the suffering of Gaza inhabitants under the difficult circumstances that they are experiencing actually.
He also expressed his hope that the ‘Miles of Smiles’ delegation would be permitted to enter Gaza Strip, next Thursday 21st November, and consequently convey the image of what they see in Gaza to the Egyptian side.
He added that he also hopes that the aid convoys would resume their arriving to Gaza, by the mid of next December, whereas this would be considered as another evidence that Egypt would stand by the Palestinian cause, as usual.
It is worth noting that ‘Miles of Smiles’ campaign had succeeded in organizing 22 relief convoys to Gaza since the year 2009, and delivered missing medicines, in addition to electrical wheelchairs for persons with special needs, as well as quantities of medical supplies and equipment.
The ‘ Miles of Smiles’ convoys were accompanied by hundreds of solidarity activists, who came from various world’s countries, and participated as humanitarian ambassadors to convey the suffering of Gaza inhabitants to their peoples.
The aid campaign of ‘Ansar’ has already participated with three relief convoys that succeeded in entering to Gaza, and in delivering aid material to the besieged people of Gaza, through coordination with ‘Miles of Smiles’ aid campaign.
In June 2011, Essam Yusuf (aka Issam Youssef, Essam Mustafa, Essam Youssef, Isam Yousif), the Managing Trustee of the INTERPAL and former head of the Union of Good, met at that time with the Hamas Prime Minister of Gaza in connection with an earlier Miles of Smiles convoy. In August 2011, plans were underway for three new convoys to break the “siege of Gaza.” In June 2012. the head of the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood called the arrival of the latest convoy to be “a new page of the Jihad against the occupation of the Palestinian territories.” In August 2012, the same Union of Good website reported that the 15th “Miles of Smiles” convoy was preparing for its trip to Gaza. In August, following the deposition of Egyptian President Mohammad Morsi, Esam Youssef said that the convoys would be continuing nonetheless.
According to a NEFA Foundation report, authored by the GMBDW editor, INTERPAL is perhaps the most important of the charities comprising the Union of Good,a coalition of charities headed by Global Muslim Brotherhood leader Youssef Qaradawi which helps to raise funds for Hamas. The Union of Good was banned by Israel in 2002 and was designated a terrorist entity by the United States in 2008. INTERPAL itself had been designated by the US in 2003. Our predecessor publication discussed the 2009 UK Charity Commission’s order that INTERPAL sever its ties with the Union of Good, likely only a formality given that Essam Yusuf, the former head of the Union of Good is still the Managing Trustee of Interpal. The U.S. has attempted to persuade the U.K. government to do something about INTERPAL but the U.K. appears reluctant to anything which in their view would further antagonize its Muslim population.
Generally unreported by the media is that the entire Gaza convoy movement is largely a project of the Global Muslim Brotherhood. The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs (JCPA) has published an article by on the role of the Global Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas in the unsuccessful second Gaza Flotilla and prior to that, the JCPA published a report by the GMBDW editor on the role of the Global Muslim Brotherhood in the first flotilla.
