Irish woman joins group protesting in Israel over aid for Gaza being blocked

The woman, who is from Limerick and cannot be named over concerns that she could be detained by the Israeli security serv­ices when leaving, is part of the Stop Starving Gaza initiative, which was established in Ireland.

The NGO worker is one of four people who have travelled to Israel — the others came from France. Another group of activists aligned to Stop Starving Gaza are due to travel to Israel in about a week’s time.

Since her arrival, the woman has gone to Ashdod Port to protest against aid trucks being blocked from entering Gaza. She has also taken part in a protest outside the parliament in Jer­usalem and the ministry of defence in Tel Aviv.

The group of four are based in Tel Aviv, and this weekend were planning to travel to the Erez crossing. On ­Friday, Israel said it had approved the reopening of the crossing into northern Gaza and the temporary use of Ashdod Port in southern Israel following US demands to increase humanitarian aid supplies into Gaza.

​The woman, who has been in Israel for 10 days, said there were security concerns wherever she travelled, and the purpose of the small group present at the moment was to prepare for a larger contingent due to come from Ireland and other countries soon.

“There are people walking around with guns as big as your arm, automatic machine guns. The carry them around the way people in Ireland would walk their dog or carry their purse. We are here to do reconnaissance before the larger group arrive,” she said.

“Safety concerns are very important. Some of the Israeli settlers who are blocking the food trucks, they would be extremists, they would have guns. Our protest is peaceful, of course, but we have to be aware of our own personal safety.”

The woman said she also intended to travel to the Kerem Shalom border crossing this weekend.

“At Erez and Kerem Shalom we will be taking footage about how to get in and out safely so that we know the best way to do things when the larger group arrives. The fact that we are foreigners and that I am a woman, these are things we have to take into consideration,” she said.

The woman, who has taken unpaid leave from her job for a month, said another important part of the group’s work so far has been forming connections with other groups and activists of a similar mindset, who are trying to help the civilians in Gaza.

“We don’t want to be coming in as outsiders claiming we know everything, so we’ve been forging links with other organisations here who know how things work. That has been a great help to us,” she said.

Talha AlAli, a Palestinian peace and human rights activist living in Ireland, established the Stop Starving Gaza initiative. However, he cannot personally travel as he would not be allowed to enter East Jerusalem, being a Palestinian citizen from the West Bank.

He is in regular contact with the Limerick woman and is helping organise the larger group travelling from Ireland and other countries.

Mr AlAli, who has lived in Ireland for several years and is married to an Irish woman, said he is desperate to do anything he can to help the people in Gaza.

Hunger and starvation are now the predominant issue, he said, adding that he believes peaceful protest will be effective in efforts to ensure food and other vital supplies are allowed in.

He said the safety of those in the group was paramount, and added that some people who have protested peacefully against Israeli settlers blocking aid have been attacked.

Mr AlAli, a therapist and artist, said more than 50 people are involved worldwide in the Stop Starving Gaza campaign, which he started from ­Dublin on Instagram.

Some of them are paying their own way, but the campaign has also launched a GoFundMe appeal.

Mr AlAli said Irish people have been generous in their support of the campaign.

“I think because Irish people have suffered so much themselves in history, they have a great sense of justice,” he said. “But this is the only way I can think of to help. There is not a Palestinian in the world who has not lost someone in this conflict.”