Israel deported to Jordan yesterday seven of those who were on board the Rachel Corrie aid ship that tried to run the Israeli blockade of Gaza.
A Cuban and six Malaysians — Member of Parliament Mohd Nizar Zakaria, two TV3 television journalists and three staff of the Perdana Global Peace organization — crossed the Allenby Bridge into the kingdom and were received by Jordanian officials.
“We are very disappointed because the whole idea was to get to Gaza. We should emphasize that we came with a message of hope and peace,” Mattias Chang of Perdana said. “They did not use force with us. There was no necessity to use force against us.”
Chang said the organization, chaired by former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, will try to go to Gaza again.
“We will not stop. We will try to have another mission to bring aid to Gaza and break the siege. Israelis, Palestinians, all must come together and stop the violence,” he said.
Eleven others detained on board the aid ship by Israeli troops were to fly out of Ben Gurion international airport near Tel Aviv.
Israeli forces intercepted and seized control of the Rachel Corrie on Saturday as it tried to reach the Gaza Strip, without use of force like that on last Monday when nine people were killed as commandos stormed an aid flotilla.
Israel deported an Indonesian journalist yesterday who had been among the passengers wounded in the interception of that flotilla.
The Irish-owned 1,200-tonne Rachel Corrie was escorted into the Israeli port of Ashdod, and the activists and crew taken to Holon immigration center near Tel Aviv for questioning before being deported.
Meanwhile, Britain announced yesterday it was donating £19 million (US$27 million) for refugees in Gaza and repeated calls for Israel to lift its blockade of the territory.
“The humanitarian situation in Gaza is both unacceptable and unsustainable,” British International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell said announcing the funds, which will help support schools and health clinics for Gazan refugees.
The money is part of a five-year, £100 million (US$145 million) agreement signed with the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees in 2006.
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