A flotilla of eight boats carrying thousands of tonnes of construction materials, medical equipment and other aid is preparing to sail to Gaza in the next few days, setting the scene for a confrontation with Israel, which has vowed to prevent the ships breaking the blockade on the Palestinian territory.
Three cargo ships and five passenger vessels plan to meet up in international waters between Cyprus and the Gaza Strip, before heading toward Gaza City. The Israeli military is expected to stop the flotilla and divert it to the Israeli port of Ashdod.
One of the organizers of the flotilla, which includes three vessels from Turkey, is IHH, a humanitarian aid group supported by Ankara. Diplomatic relations between Turkey and Israel have deteriorated since the Israelis launched a three-week war on Gaza in 2008-2009. An attempt to block the flotilla is likely to increase tensions between the two countries.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Turkish Prime Minister Racep Tayyip Erdogan has called on Israel to avoid this by allowing the boats through.
“This could make relations between Israel and Turkey more complicated,” said Yigal Palmor, an Israeli foreign ministry spokesman.
On board the ships are 10,000 tonnes of cargo and about 700 to 800 activists and politicians from more than 40 countries. The cargo includes building materials, medical supplies and paper for schools. One boat is carrying a complete dental surgery. Crayons and chocolate are also on board for Gazan children. The cargo has been paid for by donations.
“We’re trying to break the blockade of the Gaza Strip and tell the world that Israel has no right to starve 1.5 million Palestinians,” said Greta Berlin, of the Free Gaza Movement, another organizer of the flotilla. “We are bringing in vitally needed supplies so the people of Gaza can rebuild their infrastructure.”
Israel has imposed an economic blockade on Gaza since the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas seized control almost three years ago. Nearly all exports and imports are banned, and only a limited supply of food and medical aid is allowed in.
Free Gaza has organized six previous aid boats to the Palestinian territory, the last three of which were blocked from reaching their destination by the Israeli military. This is the biggest attempt to take aid to Gaza.
“The previous boats were making a statement — these boats will be making a real impact,” Berlin said.
“The boats will not be allowed to enter Gaza territorial waters,” Palmor said. “This is a territory in a self-declared state of war with Israel. There can be no uncontrolled transportation in or out of Gaza.”
Berlin accused Israel of “sabre-rattling” in the hope the flotilla plan will be abandoned.
“They have no right to control Gaza waters unless they want to admit they are occupying Gaza,” she said. “They are the illegal entity, not us.”
In related news, Israel launched air strikes in the Gaza Strip overnight after Palestinian militants fired a rocket and mortar shells at the Jewish state, Palestinian officials and the Israeli military said yesterday.
Palestinian medical officials said about a dozen people were slightly wounded by debris from the air strikes. There were no Israeli casualties.
A Palestinian militant group that identifies with al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for firing the rocket and mortar shells at Israel from Gaza, which is ruled by the Islamist Hamas movement.
Hamas security sources said the Israeli air strikes hit an airport in the southern Gaza Strip which is not in use and a Hamas training camp in the north.
An Israeli military spokesman said the air strikes were a response to the cross-border attacks from Gaza and that warplanes had targeted tunnels used by militants.
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