Muslim Scholars Association Ask Bouteflika To Intervene With Egypt President Al Sissi

On Friday, the Egyptian authorities prevented a convoy of the Algerian Muslim Scholars Association from carrying aid to the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing, which is carrying medicines, wheelchairs and ambulances.

The Relief Committee of the Association of Algerian Muslim Scholars appealed to President Bouteflika to intervene with his Egyptian counterpart to grant access to the beneficiaries.

Head of the Relief Committee of the Association of Muslim Scholars who is responsible for the convoy that is heading to Gaza, Sheikh Yahia Sari, told Echorouk that they were surprised by the decision of the Egyptian authorities to prevent the aid convoy from entering the Rafah crossing, despite obtaining the permit at the port of Port Said,which is registered with documents, by the Palestinian Red Crescent.

“Everything is documented, and we have passed through all the checkpoints and there is security coordination in the passage of the convoy and we did not stop at any checkpoint despite the difficult conditions and the seriousness of the road”, the spokesman said. 

“We had to return to the port of Port Said after the Egyptian intelligence informed us that we were banned from entering the Rafah crossing”.

“The convoy contains 14 containers, 90% of which are medicines, in addition to wheelchairs and ambulances, and the Egyptian authorities told us that they would not allow them to enter completely, on the pretext that we do not have a permit”.

“We returned to Port Said because we can not leave aid at the Rafah crossing, for security reasons, pending the issuance of a new approval to enter all medical assistance, where the intelligence ordered us to divide the convoy, allowing access to medicines only without medical equipment”.

The spokesman denied all the news that were promoted about the possibility of damage to medicines, and the period of depletion of its powers is still far.

Sheikh Yahia Sari explained that the aid was collected by the Algerians to their brothers in the besieged Gaza Strip. This is what the convoy organizers wish to deliver to their beneficiaries as soon as possible, especially since we are close to the holy Eid al-Adha”.

He called on the Egyptian authorities, through Echorouk newspaper, to allow the convoy to move and appeal to President Bouteflika to intervene to bring the convoy as soon as possible.

A convoy of humanitarian aid was launched from the port of Algiers to the besieged Gaza Strip, which has been delayed for four years due to the security disturbances in the Egyptian desert, including medicines, ambulances and wheelchairs with a total value of over three million dollars. 

This move came at a time when the stranglehold on the Gaza Strip has intensified.