Attempt to break Gaza blockade

[Spion]

Activists from the Free Gaza Movement are planning to sail from Cyprus to Gaza in defiance of an Israeli blockade. A BBC Arabic Service journalist will be on board posting diary entries. It'll be interesting to see the progress of what should be the very simple act of sailing a vessel to Gaza.


"About 45 people are here in the port of Larnaca in Cyprus, preparing to sail south to Gaza.

The group includes Americans, Palestinians and Israelis among the 15 nationalities represented.

President of the Free Gaza Movement, Greta Berlin explains the mission.

"This is a non-violent resistance project to challenge Israel's siege of Gaza. Israel claims that Gaza is no longer occupied, yet Israeli forces control Gaza by land, sea and air".

Israel imposed an economic blockade on Gaza after Hamas forces violently seized control from Fatah in June 2007. The squeeze is also aimed at stopping militants firing rockets at southern Israel.

No Israeli authorisation

The organisers' plan is to enter Gaza from international waters without Israel's authorisation, to recognise Palestinian control over its own borders.

Two wooden boats, Free Gaza and Liberty, will also carry a cargo of 200 hearing aids which are destined for children in Gaza whose hearing has been damaged by explosions and sonic booms."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7541782.stm

 

[teqniq]

I wish them good fortune.

 

[T & P]

Me too. But I hope they'll have enough lifeboats on board because I can hear the engines of the Israeli F16s starting up already. And rightly so, as the boat is bound to be full of 'terrorists' and/or weapon smugglers. Which would of course fully justify its sinking in the eyes of one or two regulars here...

 

[tangentlama]

Hedy Epstein will be on board:

Holocaust survivor Hedy Epstein is making the journey - at the age of 83 - for humanitarian reasons.
"We intend to open the port, fish with the fishermen, and work in the schools".

Remeber when I wrote about her recently?http://www.urban75.net/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=7711807&postcount=2

 

[teqniq]

An Israeli Jew in Gaza - By Jeff Halper
Date: 05 / 08 / 2008 Time: 18:18
In another few days, I will sail on one of the Free Gaza movement boats from Cyprus to Gaza. The mission is to break the Israeli siege, an absolutely illegal siege which has plunged a million and a half Palestinians into wretched conditions:.....

source

 

[teqniq]

Israel last night warned an attempt by peace activists to sail two wooden boats to the Gaza Strip was a "provocation" and said it would prevent them reaching their destination.....

source

 

[rachamim18]

And the baots landed, and the Activists wasted 300,000 and failed to provoke a confrontation. The IDF begged to interdict them but were overruled. I am glad it was so, they just wanted publicity and outside the extreme left, received none. Losers. Let us spend 300,000 US to bring baloons to Gaza Whoop! Whoop!