AMMAN –– A Jordanian truck laden with 2,000 blood units bound to Gaza was denied entry to the Palestinian territories by Israeli authorities on Tuesday, according to an official from the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation (JHCO).

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed a statement to The Jordan Times by Director of the Health Ministry's National Blood Bank Nidal Irshaid, who added that the shipment would leave early today to the besieged enclave.

He said that the JHCO coordinated with border crossing authorities to allow entry to the truck along with other relief convoys dispatched by the organisation.

Health Ministry official indicated that the Kingdom’s blood banks have collected more than 8,000 blood units since the first day of the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip.

“The bank branches across the Kingdom receive hundreds of people who want to donate blood every day,” Irshaid noted, adding that the capacity of the bank is between 8,000 to 10,000 units and the validity period of blood is 35 days.

He said that thousands of people are on the waiting list to donate blood as more than 150 organisations have launched donation campaigns.

Waleed Hakouz, from the Hakouz family charity commission, said that more than 300 people are ready to donate through the campaign launched by the commission.

Another activist, Azmi Safi, said that he organised a campaign in the Khirbet Al Souq neighbourhood in eastern Amman and has a list of more than 200 donors.

“I receive calls every day from people on the list saying that they are ready to donate and asking when they can do so,” he added.

Fadi Jamal, who coordinates a campaign launched by the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) said that scores of GAM staff have already donated blood while a second campaign starts today with large numbers already registered.

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