Mesha'al thanks Qaddafi for the brave Libyan attempt to send a humanitarian boat to besieged Palestinians in Gaza

Mesha'al thanks Qaddafi and his people for their humanitarian gesture

[ 01/12/2008 - 07:12 PM ]

GAZA, (PIC)--

Khaled Mesha'al, the head of the Hamas political bureau, expressed his thanks on behalf of the besieged Gaza people to Libyan leader Muammar Al-Qaddafi and his people for sending a relief ship to the Gaza Strip during a telephone call on Monday.

During his telephone conversation with the Libyan leader, Mesha'al stressed the need for continuing such Arab relief efforts to help the impoverished Gaza people and break the siege once and for all.

In a statement received by the PIC, the governmental committee to break the siege strongly denounced Israel for blocking the Libyan relief ship from docking at the Gaza port, calling on the international humanitarian organizations to pressure Israel to allow the ship to reach Gaza.

The committee urged Libya not to surrender to the Israeli obstacles and to make further attempts to send humanitarian aid to the besieged Palestinian people in Gaza.

It stressed the need to activate the resolution taken days ago by the Arab foreign ministers regarding sending humanitarian aid to Gaza, questioning the delay in implementing the Arab resolutions made two years ago which call for breaking the siege on Gaza.

In a related context, MP Jamal Al-Khudari, the head of the popular committee against the siege, said that there are active contacts with concerned parties and human rights institutions to enable the Libyan Marwa ship to resume its trip to Gaza.

MP Khudari stated that he personally contacted Knesset MP Ahmed Al-Tibi who confirmed his diligent attempts to ensure the arrival of the ship in Gaza. He also made similar phone calls with the Libyan health minister and the ship crew who expressed determination to deliver the relief shipment to its destination.

Hamas: The Libyan ship's attempt to reach Gaza is a brave step

[ 01/12/2008 - 06:56 PM ]

GAZA, (PIC)--

The Hamas Movement hailed Monday the attempt by the Libyan ship to reach the Gaza Strip as a courageous move of challenge, highlighting that this move shows a sense of responsibility from Libya towards one and a half million people besieged by Israel in full view of the whole world.

In a press release received by the PIC, Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said that the Israeli interception of a ship loaded with humanitarian aid to the impoverished people of Gaza confirmed the criminal image of the Israeli occupation which is trying to beautify it through negotiations, normalization and security coordination.

Barhoum urged the crew of the Libyan ship to show determination and reach Gaza despite the challenges they may face.

The spokesman underlined that in light of the increased suffering of Gaza people and the international attempt to break the siege through the sea there is no reason to retain the Rafah border crossing closed, calling on the Egyptian leadership to open the crossing before Arab and international aid to the Strip.

In a new development, the victims of the Israeli siege on Gaza rose to 263 Palestinians after the death of a cancer patient Monday morning.

The Palestinian police said that the victim was a paramedic called Riyadh Abu Attaya, 42, adding that the IOA declined his travel to receive medical treatment outside Gaza.