Date: 01 / 12 / 2008  Time:  09:20
Gaza – Ma’an –

The Libyan aid ship destined for Gaza and turned away by Israeli occupation forces warships landed in the Egyptian port of Al-Arish Monday afternoon.

The boat, carrying 3,000 tons of aid, entered Gazan coastal waters at 6:20am and was immediately ordered to turn around by the Israeli warships. The ship altered its course to Al-Arish, from where it is hoped supplies can be transferred into Gaza through the Rafah border in the south.

During a gathering at the Gaza port meant to receive the diverted ship Head of the Popular Committee Against the Siege Jamal Al-Khudari said he spoke to the Libyan Minister of Health by phone in order to review the situation.

He called on the international community to pressure Israel to allow the ship access to the Gaza port. Three ships have brought aid and international activists into Gaza since August. The boats, affiliated with the Free Gaza movement, were cleared by Cyprus customs, and notified Israeli naval authorities that they were humanitarian vessels delivering aid.

It is not clear how close to Gaza the Libyan ship was when it was turned around by the Israeli navy, or what justification was given to the ship when it was ordered to turn away. According to the Free Gaza movement, the Israeli navy’s actions on the Mediterranean Sea - to what extent and at what boundaries Gazan waters were policed – are an indicator of Israeli official policy on the continued occupation of the Gaza Strip despite the unilateral withdrawal in 2005.

The aid in the turned-away ship is a gift from the Libyan government to the besieged Gazan population.

Minister of social affairs in the de facto government Ahmad Al-Kurd called on the Arab world to send aid through Rafah crossing rather than by sea. “We remind the billion Muslims around the world that they have brothers starving to death in the Gaza Strip,” he added.

Minister of Health in the de facto government Bassem Na’im had harsh words for the Arab and Islamic world, condemning their silence while Gaza “dies a slow death.”

Senior leader in the An-Nasser brigades, the armed wing of the Popular Resistance Committees, Abu Abir said he considered the turning away of aid a violation of the truce.

Earlier Monday Al-Khudari indicated that the wheels of international diplomacy were at work to try and have the ship dock in Gaza. It is not clear whether Egypt will allow the aid through Rafah crossing, although several Arab countries pledged to send aid to Gaza over land through Rafah at the last Arab Foreign Ministers Meeting in Cairo.


***Updated 11:42 Bethlehem time

Israeli naval vessels intercept a Libyan aid ship

Monday December 01, 2008 11:33 by Rami Almeghari - IMEMC & Agencies

Israeli occupation forces naval vessels intercepted on Monday a Libyan aid ship, while en-route to the besieged Gaza Strip, after sailing from a Libyan port one week ago.

Lawmaker and head of the local popular committee to break the Israeli siege on Gaza, Jamal Al-Khudari, stated today morning in a press conference on Gaza sea port that the Israeli naval boats turned the ship back.

" the ship is now in the territorial waters of the nearby Egyptian sea town of Al-Arish, while coordination is underway to ensure delivery of the aid to Gaza via the border crossing of Rafah on Gaza-Egypt border lines".

Al-Khudari decried the Israeli measure 'in a time Gaza is starving because of the restrictive Israeli blockade in place for more than 19 months now'. He called on the Arab and Islamic nations, to intervene immediately to break the Gaza siege.

Ahmad Al-Kurd, Minister of the Hamas-run social affairs ministry , who joined Al-Khaudary's press conference, echoed the same appeal.

Crowds of Gaza inhabitants and journalists gathered in the early hours of Monday to welcome Al-Marwa, a Libyan ship, loaded with humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza, estimated at 3,000 tons of food and medicines. Libyan minister of health is said to be supervising the aid delivery.

From his part, spokesman of the Israeli foreign ministry , Andy David, was quoted by the Israeli Online Daily Haaretz as saying " We have a very clear policy on the blockade , which is constantly publicized. The blockade is imposed to generate political pressure on Gaza's Islamist Hamas leadership, the blockade has been stepped up in recent weeks amid a surge in border clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants".

For the past four months Israel has allowed three boats, loaded with internationals and humanitarian aid, into Gaza. The said boats have been organized by the Free Gaza Movement, a congregation of international solidarity campaigners.

Currently, there are no normal peaceful ties between Israel and Libya.

Since coming to power in January2006, the Hamas party has shunned peace talks with Israel until Israel halts attacks against the Palestinian people. Israel ,from its part, has imposed a strict blockade on the party since the latter took over Gaza in June2007.