For the eleventh time Gaza has received the aid convoy of “Miles of Smiles” loaded with medical equipment, electrical wheelchairs for special needs, and missing baby milk, amidst prior pledges of its general coordinator ,Dr. Issam Mustafa, to organize more convoys and support Gaza by all relief and development projects until breaking all the chains of the siege and ending the occupation.

Dr. Mustafa said “ We are not mere figures that come to visit Gaza…and when we organize these convoys to enter the besieged Gaza, we don’t only bring medicine, but we also work to support the Palestinian farmer, fisherman, and small entrepreneurs, besides all categories of the Palestinian people, so that to make them feel that they are not alone, and that we share the same ditch with them, by our hearts and souls, and that we are ready to sacrifice our souls and all what we have to support them”.

Dr. Mustafa revealed , in an exclusive dialogue with Humanitarian Voice, that efforts are afoot to organize the 12th convoy that would be allocated for supporting the prisoners under the title of “ Our heroic prisoners, we‘re together until breaking the siege”.

He added that the said convoy would be launched next June to support and help the Palestinian prisoners who are suffering and facing death each moment in the Israeli jails.

Dr. Mustafa also affirmed that the aid convoys of “Miles of Smiles” would not stop on number 11, but would continue till breaking the Israeli siege on Gaza, noting that each time they make change in the nature of visiting delegation, as the previous convoy consisted of women, while the present convoy is for the youth to reflect the suffering of Gaza inhabitant for the largest category of different world countries.

Following is the dialogue with Dr. Issam:

By the help from Allah, this convoy consisted of youth, as most of the solidarity participants who accompanied “Miles of Smiles 11” were of young people. They were 70 people from south Africa, Egypt, Jordan, and Britain, in addition to a team of 20 physicians that came to conduct some surgeries for a number of injured due to the continued Israeli attacks. Our goal is to make cultural and youth exchange between besieged Gaza youth and world youth, to underline the important role of youth in making and leading the nations , in addition to their pioneering role in various technical and cultural fields.

Each time we try to change the nature of the visiting delegations to Gaza in order to get the biggest number of solidarity people from Arab, Islamic, and world countries, so that to make the inhabitants of Gaza feel that they are alone, and that all people of free conscience are supporting them. This convoy consisted of more than 70 young man and woman, while the 10th convoy consisted of women, and came to express solidarity with the Palestinian woman. Other previous convoys included some prominent figures and Parliamentarians from different world countries. Our goal is to convey the suffering of the besieged people of Gaza to the biggest category of world countries to play the role of ambassadors of Gaza people in their countries and cities, and to talk about the hardships experienced by Gaza people under the heinous occupation. So, we are not mere figures coming to Gaza for picnicking, but we carry their suffering for the outside world , and we bring to them aid and relief material , in addition to developmental projects.
These convoys are symbolic to express our support for the Palestinians, and the number of Gaza “honorary” ambassadors, who visited Gaza and took notice of its situation, has reached 1000 ambassador, and each one of them would be given a badge to participate in events that support Gaza in his country.

The program of the youth in this convoy is very crowded, as it included visits to the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), the martyrs cemetery, the destroyed homes that were shelled by Israeli rockets , in addition to volunteering work in helping the Palestinian farmers. The youth delegation of the convoy has also participated in the solidarity sit-in to support the Palestinian prisoners in the Israeli jails, to make the relatives of those prisoners feel that they are not alone , and that their cause will win in spite of the occupation. We also started to prepare for launching a special convoy of “Miles of Smiles” that will be allocated completely to support the Palestinian prisoners under the slogan of ““ Our heroic prisoners, we‘re together until breaking the siege” slated to kick off during next June. Also we intend to establish an international institution to care for the prisoners affairs, and to specialize in advocating the Palestinian prisoners under the name of The Freedom Institution for Palestinian Prisoners”. Also, the youth delegation would be hosted inside Palestinian homes to visit a house of a Palestinian prisoner, or Palestinian injured, or martyr to strengthen the ties between Palestinian and Arab youth.

Relief work is a part of developmental work, and developmental projects can not be established before the stage of relief work to provide people with all necessary elements of food and medicine to survive and continue resisting the occupier. The convoys of “Miles of Smiles “ brought many developmental projects to Gaza. Some of these projects are going on under our supervision like a project to reconfigure the plastic, glass, iron, and aluminum.

The Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture has concluded an agreement with Al-Kawafel company to establish a water farm on an area of two donums in the liberated lands of Gaza. According to this agreement a project for producing chemical and organic fertilizers would be launched during the next few months, with cost of 2 million dollars. This project would break one of the vicious chains of the Israeli siege imposed on Gaza for more than five continued years, in terms of the entry of fertilizers to Gaza, and would make a significant change to the progress of agricultural production and to ensure food security in Gaza.

AB.