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By World Bulletin
News Article
Sunday, May 23, 2010
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| (World Bulletin) |
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Three ships carrying Turkish activists have set off from Turkey to Gaza
on Saturday, the biggest effort by international aid groups to break
the Israeli siege on the Gaza Strip.
The biggest of the nine
ships from Istanbul is heading to the south western city of Antalya
where two other Turkish ships will be waiting to join the convoy.
The seaport was overwhelmed by thousands of well-wishers, who had come to show their support for the people of Gaza.
The three ships will then travel to the waters off Athens and Crete to
rendezvous with the other six, before making the four-day journey to
Gaza.
The second ship to join the Freedom Flotilla en route to
Gaza left Istanbul Saturday afternoon, joining eight other boats from
three countries carrying 10,000 tons of aid for Gaza's residents,
supplies embargoed by Israel.
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| (World Bulletin) |
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A statement issued by the
Freedom Flotilla's organizers said the latest ship is sponsored by the
Turkish humanitarian organization or IHH and will carry 600 passengers
to Gaza as part of the "blockade busting" flotilla.
Boats will meet in the Mediterranean, then turn toward Gaza to arrive at its beseiged slice of beachfront by the end of May.
Free Gaza Movement’s MV Rachel Corrie is already en route from Ireland
and is presently off the coast of Portugal loaded with cement, paper
and supplies for school children and medical equipment, the statement
said. Rachel Corrie was a US peace activist who was killed by an
Israeli army bulldozer in Gaza in 2003.
The convoy is from the UK, Ireland, Algeria, Kuwait, Greece and Turkey,
and is comprised of people from 50 nationalities. It is made up of
three cargo ships and five passengers boats.
Israeli violence?
But, news reports from Israel indicated that Tel Aviv will attempt to
prevent the ships from reaching the blockaded coastal enclave.
A statement from Israel's foreign ministry said it had "no intention of
allowing the flotilla into Gaza" but has not elaborated on what
measures could be used to stop them.
Representatives from six
organisations, including the European Campaign to End the Siege in Gaza
(EGESG), said they were determined to enter the area regardless of
pressure from Israel.
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| (World Bulletin) |
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"Israel should not be under any illusion whatsoever that their threats
or intimidation will stop us or even that their violence against us
will stop us," Huwaida Arraf, from the Free Gaza Movement, said.
Kahel Mazen, from EGESG, added: "If they choose to resort to
destruction and death, our mission is to try to open a window of hope
for the people of Gaza."
Earlier this month, UN Relief and
Works Agency for Palestine Refugees director John Ging called upon the
international community to break the siege on the Gaza Strip by sending
ships loaded with aid.
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| (World Bulletin) |
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"We believe that Israel will not intercept these vessels because the
sea is open and human rights organisations have been successful in
similar previous operations, proving that breaking the siege of Gaza is
possible," Mr Ging declared.
Gaza is still considered under Israeli occupation as Israel controls air, sea and land access to the Strip.
The Rafah crossing with Egypt, Gaza's sole border crossing that
bypasses Israel, rarely opens as Egypt is under immense US and Israeli
pressure to keep the crossing shut.
World Bulletin
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