Five thousand miles and 23 days after the Viva Palestina convoy left Hyde Park, London, it finally entered Gaza at around 4pm local time.

It met with a rapturous reception from thousands of Palestinians.

George Galloway kissed the ground as he walked through the Rafah crossing and joined Palestinian prime minister Ismail Hanir for an open air press conference.

"Our message is we are all Palestinians now. They said this could not be done, but we have done it. At last twenty three days after the convoy set out, we have arrived in this land of heroes. Now we want the siege of Gaza lifted and the Rafah crossing completely open."

The convoy has headed towards Gaza CCity where a huge reception awaits.

George Galloway was accompanied by Dr Daoud Abdullah, the Deputy Secretary Gernal of the Muslim Council of Britain, Lauren Booth, Yvonne Ridley and local councillors from Birmingham and Tower Hamlets as he crossed into Gaza, along with some 300 others who were on the convoy.