The government committee against the siege on Saturday urged the Egyptian authority to facilitate the entry of the European "Hope" convoy through the Rafah crossing point.

The committee in a statement stressed that the convoy, scheduled to arrive in Rafah on 15/5/2009, was carrying medical equipment, medicine and wheelchairs.

It said that closure of crossings had greatly affected those whose limbs were amputated in the latest Israeli war on Gaza, due to the lack of artificial limbs and wheelchairs.

For his part, Rami Abdo, the coordinator of the convoy, said in a press release on Saturday that the European campaign, which organized the convoy, had exerted big efforts over the past few weeks to mobilize the biggest possible support for the convoy.

He said that the convoy, which would be leaving Milan within two days, was carrying tens of small trucks loaded with medical equipment for those with special needs in addition to ambulance cars.

Tens of European MPs and officials along with activists would accompany the convoy that would cross the Mediterranean from the Italian port of Milan to the Egyptian port of Alexandria then would take the land route to Gaza, Abdo elaborated.