Danish Palestinians want to help Gaza victims

Many young sympathisers want to do aid work in Gaza but the region is off-limits

Jul 22, 2014

Some young Danes with Palestinian backgrounds don't want to just sit back and watch while women and children in the Gaza strip are being killed by Israeli attacks.

Mahmoud Daoud, head of Odense's integration council, told Fyens Stifttidende that many Danish Palestinians are ready to go to Gaza to do volunteer aid work in the war-torn region.

"I've talked to the first 25 people from all over the country that want to do aid work in Gaza, and I know that many of them are actively looking for a way to get down there."

No Hamas supporters
Fathi El-Abed, the head of the Danish Palestinian Friendship Association reported the same tendency, and emphasised that he knew of no-one who wanted to go to Gaza to fight alongside Hamas against Israel.

No matter what their objective might be, Danish Palestinians are advised to stay away from Gaza.

"It's impossible to get into Gaza as things are now. It's in everybody's best interest that people make an effort from home," said Fathi El-Abed.

"Don't go"
Mahmoud Daoud also stressed that it's virtually impossible to get into Gaza without the approval of Israeli authorities.

"I advise young people to help where they can. Collect money, send medicine, but don't travel down there."

Nearly 600 Palestinians and 29 Israelis have died in 14 days of fighting between Israel and Hamas. The majority of Palestinians killed were civilians, including dozens of children, according to the UN.

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