Left I on the News

Most of the activists who arrived in Gaza by boat and broke the blockade left by boat, vowing to return and set up a regular blockade-busting route. But apparently four of them stayed behind, thinking they could get home another way.

Think again:

Four foreign nationals from the UK, US Ireland and Australia, who helped peacefully challenge the siege of Gaza by traveling through international waters, are now effectively imprisoned in Gaza at the order of the Egyptian and Israeli authorities.

Attempts were made on August 29th to peacefully, exit Gaza through Israeli controlled Erez crossing. Israel denied the exit.

On August 30th and 31st further attempts to exit Gaza through the Egyptian controlled Rafah crossing were also denied.

Among the internationals are Irish activist and former Hawaiian Legislator Kenneth O'Keefe, British journalist Lauren Booth (sister in law of the Middle East envoy Tony Blair) and Dr. William Dienst, a family and emergency room physician from the USA.

Booth summarized the situation nicely:

"Thanks to Israel for letting us feel a real taste of Gazan life."

Fortunately for her it's only been a taste, at least so far. Hopefully neither she nor the others will develop life-threatening medical problems, or they might meet the fate of hundreds of Gazans who have died under the heel of the blockade.