The fire appliance donated by FBU members in Scotland to Palestinian firefighters has now been detained by Israeli customs for over a year.
The fire engine has been held by Israel despite having the necessary paperwork to be transported to its destination in Nablus, in the West Bank.
This is part of a wider blockade of humanitarian aid to Palestine, with Israel also controlling the supply of food into Gaza.
Records show that between March and June this year, Israel permitted less than a quarter of the minimum amount of food needed by the population. In August, the Red Cross reported that 470,000 people in Gaza face starvation as a result of the ongoing aid blockade.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Class has projected catastrophic levels of food insecurity for the entire population of Gaza by September. According to the platform’s experts, at least half a million people are expected to face starvation, destitution and death.
FBU conference passed a resolution this spring condemning the “heinous murder and cover-up of fellow emergency workers in Palestine”, and the interception of Freedom Flotilla Coalition boats delivering aid.
Alongside the siege on Gaze, Israeli settler and military violence against Palestinians have intensified in the occupied West Bank: the region where the donated appliance was intended to help save lives.
