National
Gift of the Givers ready to assist in Gaza─── SABRINA DEAN 13:56 Mon, 28 Jul 2014
Sabrina Dean
Bloemfontein - South African based humanitarian organization Gift of the Givers says its teams of medical and search and rescue volunteers will depart within 24 hours of receiving permission to access the embattled Gaza Strip.
Founder Imtiaz Sooliman says the region was already in dire straits when Gift of the Givers provided assistance during the war there in 2009 and says the situation has only worsened since that time.
He says more than 120 medical volunteers are ready to go and are just awaiting permission to access the area. He says South African Government officials are negotiating with officials in Cairo over an application for access to embattled region.
According to international media reports, The UN Security Council has meanwhile convened an emergency sitting over the situation. More than 1000 Palestinians and 45 Israelis have been killed since fighting broke out between Hamas and Israel in July 8.
Although US President Barack Obama has also thrown his weight behind efforts to secure peace in the region, Israeli First Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has placed his hopes in an Egyptian initiative to secure a sustainable period of calm by demilitarizing the region.
According to international media reports, The UN Security Council has meanwhile convened an emergency sitting over the situation. More than 1000 Palestinians and 45 Israelis have been killed since fighting broke out between Hamas and Israel in July 8.
Although US President Barack Obama has also thrown his weight behind efforts to secure peace in the region, Israeli First Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has placed his hopes in an Egyptian initiative to secure a sustainable period of calm by demilitarizing the region.
