JERUSALEM (JTA) — Pulitzer Prize-winning author Alice Walker is joining other female activists on a visit to Gaza.
The group was waiting to enter the Gaza Strip at the Rafah crossing with Egypt on Saturday, according to The Associated Press.
Organized by the U.S. anti-war group Code Pink, the activists were making the visit to highlight the destruction caused by Israel during its military offensive against Hamas, and to urge Israel and Egypt to open its borders with Gaza. They were scheduled to hand out aid, including personal items such as soap and shampoo for Palestinian women.
Walker, author of "The Color Purple," said the United States also was responsible for the destruction in Gaza.
"It’s very important that they understand what is happening, and that we hold our own administration accountable," she told the AP.
"I love people, and I love children and I feel that the Palestinian child is just as precious as the African-American child, as the Jewish child," Walker added.
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