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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Gaza aid flotilla undeterred amid Israeli warnings |
| 2010-05-28 |
| [Al Arabiya Latest] Pro-Palestinian activists vowed on Thursday to steam on to Hamas-run Gaza and bust the blockade with their aid-laden flotilla as Israel threatened to use its army, navy and all means available to prevent the ships from reaching the Gaza Strip. "We have the right to sail from international waters into the waters of Gaza," said Greta Berlin, one of the flotilla's organizers. "The only illegal presence in the area is Israel," she told AFP, adding the "Freedom Flotilla" was on schedule to arrive in the Palestinian enclave on Saturday with more than 10,000 tons of building and other supplies. But Israel insisted it would prevent the three cargo ships and five passenger boats from reaching the Islamist-run Gaza Strip, calling the blockade-busting bid a "cheap political stunt." The Israeli government said in a statement from the Foreign Ministry that it will use all available means to stop the ships from docking in Gaza and has instructed the Israel Defense Forces and the Navy to act accordingly. The foreign ministry also said it summoned the ambassadors of Turkey, Greece, Cyprus, Sweden and Ireland -- the countries from which the ships set sail -- and warned them Israel "issued warrants that prohibit the entrance of the vessels to Gaza." The flotilla "is about to break international law," the ministry's Director General Yossi Gal told the diplomats, adding the coastal enclave "is under the control of a terrorist organization, which does not prioritize the well-being of the citizens of Gaza." He also said Israel "declares the flotilla an absolute provocation" and that there is no shortage of humanitarian aid in Gaza. Turkey, meanwhile, urged Israeli authorities to treat the convoy as humanitarian aid. A Turkish human rights group is one of the organizers. Muslim Turkey is one of Israel's closest allies in the Middle East but relations have soured in part due to Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's frequent criticism of the Jewish state's policies toward the Palestinians. Israel has vowed to divert the ships to the southern Israeli port of Ashdod, where it will detain the activists before deporting them. Part of the port has been cordoned off and prepared to deal with the activists. Chemical toilets have been set up as well as large, air-conditioned tents housing immigration booths and areas for people to be searched. Containers blocked off what appeared to be a holding area, which was covered by tarpaulins to provide shade. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #5 |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2010-05-28 16:58 |
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| Posted by: Old Patriot 2010-05-28 16:52 |
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| Posted by: mojo 2010-05-28 11:07 |
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| Posted by: gorb 2010-05-28 10:33 |
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| Posted by: Anonymoose 2010-05-28 09:30 |