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It is expected that navy ships will converge on the flotilla once it has breached the exclusion zone 20 miles from the coast. Greta Berlin of the Free Gaza Movement, one of the principle organisations behind the flotilla, believes the plan of attack is well under way and that a Turkish passenger ship has been designated the first target. “They’re going to try to pick us off one by one”, she claimed, going on to report the ships’ communications have already been sabotaged.
A special detention centre has been constructed in Ashdod, south of Tel Aviv, where the navy hope to herd the flotilla. Passengers will then be arrested, before being offered a choice of immediate deportation or imprisonment. Berlin reports the activists will not recognise Israeli authority and will refuse to comply with their orders, "we are committed to getting into Gaza. We expect a standoff at sea”.
The convoy is the fourth such trip to Gaza since Operation Cast Lead, Israel’s devastating military offensive which left 1,500 dead and destroyed the strip’s economy. The three previous flotillas were prevented from docking in Gaza, with the ships’ supplies confiscated and believed destroyed. The first of these, in December 2008, was rammed at sea by the Israeli navy, which almost resulted in the sinking of a boat. “The Israeli Navy attacked us in international waters at night” Berlin recalls. Such tactics represent a departure from policy pre-Cast Lead. In 2008, four trips successfully docked in Gaza and were able to distribute aid.
The blockade on Gaza, in place since Hamas took power
in 2007 has denied vital supplies to every industry, including
healthcare and education. There has been a steep rise in malnutrition
and unemployment as a result. Israeli officials have told activists to
deliver their aid through official channels, but since these same
channels are responsible for the ongoing siege of Gaza, the offer has
been met with derision. The ships’ cargo includes pre-fabricated
housing and medical supplies.
Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman denounced the
flotilla as “an attempt at violent propaganda”. Lieberman, who once
suggested that overcrowding in prisons be resolved by drowning
Palestinian prisoners in the Dead Sea, went on to claim “there is no
humanitarian crisis in Gaza”. In support of this assertion the
Government Press Office publicised a link to the website of a
high-class restaurant in Gaza.
The pro-Israel activist group Stand With us are dispatching their own six-boat flotilla, under the banner “Free Gaza From Hamas”. Hamas officials for their part have finalised preparations for welcoming the aid convoy, including for ‘emergency’ circumstances. They have called on the international community to prevent “piratical acts” from the Israeli navy.
Yesterday, Cypriot authorities refused to allow the flotilla to pass through their waters or dock overnight. Israeli government sources called the decision a “small victory” and expressed disappointment that Greece and Turkey had not followed suit.
The BBC, the UK’s top news network has until now refused to report on the flotilla’s progress. Organisers have initiated a campaign of condemnation for the silence, which recalls a refusal to broadcast a charity appeal for aid to Gaza in January 2009.
International bodies the EU and UNRWA have expressed support for the activists. EU Foreign Policy chief Catherine Ashton urged "restraint and responsibility” from the Israeli navy, after plans to arrest and deport the flotilla’s passengers were announced. Ashton went on to criticise the continued siege, stating "the EU remains gravely concerned by the humanitarian situation in Gaza. The continued policy of closure is unacceptable and politically counterproductive”. Her announcement followed an EU publication the day before which demanded an immediate end to the blockade.John Ging, head of UNRWA in Gaza, expressed hope the flotilla would follow on from other “human rights organisations that have been successful in previous similar operations. Breaking the siege on Gaza is possible”.
Although all ships have been thoroughly searched and vetted in their home countries, Greta Berlin believes they will be met by Israeli forces that are “armed to the teeth”. Israeli press reports suggest the military feel they are dealing with "terror activists" and will deal with them as such. Live fire has not been excluded from military contingencies. Dog units and special forces divisions are on standby. The world awaits.