“You are the hope of our nation, and its fuel , and with your strong will, the siege of Gaza would be broken soon…I call the nation’s leaders to come and join the steadfastness of Palestinians in Gaza..” were the words of Gaza Prime Minister, Ismail Haneyya while welcoming the youth delegation that accompanied the aid convoy of “Miles of Smiles 11”, that arrived to Gaza last Thursday evening.

Haneyya, while receiving the participants of “Miles of Smiles 11” at the mosque of “Al-Shate Al-Kabeer” in Gaza yesterday, added that “ these convoys coming to Gaza to demonstrate , for the whole world, that Gaza is still under the siege, and to refute the Israeli claims that the siege was lifted”.

He welcomed the participants , stressing that these delegations come to visit Gaza, as it is the shortest way towards Al-Quds , and Al-Aqsa, to urge the nation by their entry to Gaza to highlight the necessity of lifting the siege and ending the occupation”.

Haneyya, highly praised the solidarity activists from Egypt, Jordan, Britain, from Europe, Lebanon , and some Palestinians in the exile, who reached Gaza with the convoy of “Miles of Smiles 11”.

During his Friday prayer’s speech, Haneyya hailed the convoy’s participants and described them as the fruit of Arab Spring, to make big changes in the Arab nation through their revolt in face of the tyrannical regimes that aimed at absenting the youth of the Arab nation.

He added that the most important reasons that push the nation’s youth to support the Palestinian youth , and to travel for thousands of miles to be with their brethren in Palestine, is the conception of brotherhood in loving God, and the association of Islam, in addition to of following the path of the great prophet Mohammad – peace be upon him- besides loving Palestine and Al-Quds being a sacred and blessed lands.

He also affirmed that the Arab youth have their values and principals that urge them tp express their solidarity with the Palestinian people, and to reject the occupation, the oppression , and the tyranny , noting that thanks to the steadfastness of Gaza and the world solidarity, Gaza would be the shortest way to Al-Quds, and the holy Mosque Al-Aqsa.

For his part, the general coordinator of “ Miles of Smiles 11” Dr. Issam Mustafa said that “ the days we are living now, are days of victory and pride for the just and oppressed cause of Palestine” stressing that the Palestinian refugees living in exile would return to their home and land, and nobody would prevent them from having access to it.

He went on to say that “ the convoy of Miles of smiles has fulfilled its promise of the previous convoy , and brought a youth delegation to participate in many youth and sport activities in Gaza”.

Dr.Mustafa, in this framework, called the international community, world organizations and institutions, to work together and break the oppressive Israeli siege on Gaza that entered its sixth year, and to grant Gaza people the chance to live indignity as do other humans of the world.

The aid convoy of “ Miles of Smiles 11” has arrived in Gaza in a late hour on Thursday evening 5-04-2012 thorough Rafah crossing , accompanied by a high international solidarity delegation.

The convoy cargo consisted of tens of medical items greatly needed in Gaza, and was accompanied by 87 solidarity activists from Egypt, Britain, South Africa, Bahrain, Palestine, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, and Lebanon, besides a medical delegation of 20 physicians to conduct some surgeries for the injured due to the last Israeli attacks on Gaza.

AB.