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Hamas leader expects more aid convoys to come to Gaza

Arab World Materials 5 January 2011 01:44 (UTC +04:00)

Deposed Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haneya said Tuesday that international aid convoys should use every possible way to continually come to Gaza, Xinhua reported.

"The flow of siege-breaking convoys could end the historical disaster," Haneya said, referring to the blockade that Israel imposed on the Gaza Strip when the Islamic movement took over the territory in 2007.

Talking to members of Asia 1 convoy that arrived here late on Sunday, Haneya said "the Zionist enemy cannot stand in the face of this global human demand to end the siege and the occupation of the Palestinian land."

Activists from 25 Asian countries, mostly Indians and Indonesians, arrived in Gaza through Egypt, bringing in a ton of food, medicine and medical equipment including four ambulances.

Haneya expressed his regret at Egypt's decision that prevented some members of the convoy from entering Gaza.

International aid convoys stepped up their efforts to go to Gaza after Israel ended a three-week military operation here, which killed some 1,400 Palestinians and destroyed thousands of houses and government buildings two years ago.

Meanwhile, Haneya said "the Israeli threats to launch a new war in Gaza will not terrify the Palestinians."

In the second half of 2010, Israel eased the blockade of Gaza, which allowed most of civilian goods to enter Gaza but still banning construction materials like cement, gravel and steel, following a lethal Israeli commando forces' raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla in May.

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