Thursday morning came with an early breakfast on the hotel terrace. Today we were heading back for Iarael. Salah picked us up and drove us (including Japanese Oakako from a partner organization) to Shamsa shamsa and Eretz border crossing. I was still carrying the cooler box, this time packed with very costly medicines that we sent to children suffering from a rare disease. In the end, the two children died, despite the medication. Because of its high value (close to $100,000) I was bringing the medicine back to Israel, where another child is suffering from the same disease.

 

Just like last time, Femke and me could pass through within an hour. This included an x-ray that does a complete body scan. Despite this, our boss Tom was body-searched twice and had to wait for close to four hours. Meanwhile, the Israeli’s refused to let the medicines in, so I had to go back in to Gaza and send them back to our office there. Apparently, Israel changed their rules once again, as always without telling anyone. They will be brought back into Israel another time.

After my second pass through the system, we still had to wait for Tom a few hours. While waiting, we were suddenly asked to go into a reinforced room by one of the heavily armed security guards. After half an hour, we were let out without any explanation. Later we learned that there had been a rocket attack (with home made rockets called Qassams) in the vicinity from Gaza into Israel.

 

The guys on the photo are waiting at Shamsa shamsa, on the Gaza side of the crossing.