A Malaysian convoy mission dubbed 'Ramadan March for Freedom' arrived in Gaza at 5.15pm yesterday (10.30pm in Malaysia).

The mission, organised by the Malaysian Islamic Organisations Consultative Council (Mapin), comprised 44 volunteers who came in a convoy of four vans.

The convoy left the Rafah border crossing at the Egyptian border at about 5pm (local time) after arriving there from El-Arish in Egypt.

The mission, led by Mapin secretary-general Azmi Abdul Wahab, will be in Gaza until Aug 18.

Azmi had told reporters in Kuala Lumpur that the purpose of the mission was to continue the efforts of the Freedom Flotilla which was opposed by Israel on June 8, and ensure that humanitarian aid reaches Palestinians in Gaza, through the Rafah border crossing.

The mission is scheduled to call on Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh at 2.30pm today (7.30pm in Malaysia).

All the members of the mission will visit places damaged during the war.

They will also visit the spot where Hamas founder Syeikh Ahmad Yassin was killed in an Israeli gunship airstrike, and attend "tarawih" prayers at the 1,500-year-old Jama Ghazza al-Kabir mosque.

- Bernama