The Gaza Community Mental Health Programme (GCMHP) is in the midst of its third international conference. This year's October 13-15 conference on "Health and Human Rights" has failed to come off without a hitch because of an unfortunate spate of Israeli interference. Several invited guests have been prevented from traveling to the conference by Israeli authorities. Ostensibly, invited guests did not appear at Eretz checkpoint at the stated time and were thus prohibited from entering. Israeli good-will and its desire to promote peaceful regional relationships must be called into question when it prevents health and human rights advocates from participating in a conference intended to alleviate human suffering.

The ten participants prevented from attending the conference thus far are: Mustafa Barghouthi, M.D. and Director of the Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Committees, Dr. Ahmad Baker, Khalil Toma (translator), Rana Nashashibi, Reema Shwaiki, Khalida Jarrar, Mahmoud Sehwail, Khalid Batrawi, Ahmed Sayyad, Vivian Khamis, and Lisa Fliegel (all the way from the USA). The GCMHP and the conference participants condemn the Israeli intransigence in preventing the free travel of Palestinians and an American citizen to the Gaza Strip. Harm has already been caused to the integrity of the conference schedule and it is our hope that the Israeli authorities will remedy the situation as much as possible in the immediate future by permitting the above-mentioned individuals to enter Gaza at this time.