European campaign appeals to Libyan ship to insist on reaching Gaza, Qatar charitable society sends shipload of relief aid

European campaign appeals to Libyan ship to insist on reaching Gaza

[ 02/12/2008 - 08:12 AM ]

BRUSSELS, (PIC)--

The European campaign to lift the siege on Gaza has condemned the Israeli obstruction of the Libyan ship and preventing it from reaching the Gaza Strip to unload its shipment of relief material.

Amin Abu Rashed, one of the founding members of the campaign and the secretary general of the Palestinian forum in Holland, said in a statement on Monday that the Libyan authorities should insist on offloading its shipment in Gaza harbor.

He underlined that Israel was keen not to let a precedent be recorded and to be followed by other Arab countries, especially when other Arab vessels were planning similar sea trips to the beleaguered Strip.

Blocking the ship from reaching Gaza was another form of pressure on the Palestinian people to double their suffering and force them to surrender and give up their democratic choice, Abu Rashed explained.

He asked the UN, which repeatedly warned of the serious humanitarian conditions in the Strip, to immediately intervene and press Israel into allowing the Libyan ship to reach Gaza.

Abu Rashed also denounced the Egyptian authorities for retaining the Rafah border crossing with Gaza closed, adding that as soon as the crossing is opened and Arab assistance allowed access then the siege would be as good as over.

Qatar charitable society sends shipload of relief aid to Gaza

[ 02/12/2008 - 01:33 PM ]

DOHA, (PIC)--

The Qatar charity foundation has announced that a shipload of medical relief assistance would be dispatched from Cyprus to the Gaza Strip next Friday despite the Israeli blockage of a Libyan ship carrying a similar cargo.

Abdullah Al-Nima, deputy board chairman of the foundation, said in a statement in Doha that the boat would also carry a number of Qatari civil activists.

"We are determined to send the ship and we will not be affected by blocking the Libyan ship or any other," he said defiantly.

Israeli gunboats on Monday intercepted a Libyan vessel carrying three tons of foodstuff and medicine to Gaza and forced it to return to the Egyptian port of Arish.

Nima denied reported coordination between Qatar and Israel on the path of the boat, adding, "We did not take permission from the Israeli authority and we will not sail in Israeli territorial waters".

"We know that we are embarking on a big adventure, but we are determined to reach Gaza despite their attempt to block us, and we will repeat the attempt until we succeed," he underscored.

The charity official said that the boat would carry a small quantity of cargo because the Gaza port could not serve large ships.

The foundation is the oldest and biggest in Qatar and sponsors thousands of Palestinian orphans in addition to financing relief and developmental projects in Gaza and the West Bank.

PLC member: Qatari aid ship en route to Gaza Strip

Date: 02 / 12 / 2008 Time: 15:51
Gaza – Ma’an –

The latest siege-breaking humanitarian aid vessel en route to Gaza is from Qatar, according to a Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) member on Tuesday.

The ship is the second Arab-sponsored attempt to challenge the brutal Israeli occupation forces  naval blockade of Gaza. On Monday, a Libyan aid ship en route to Gaza was intercepted by the Israeli Navy and redirected to an Egyptian port.

Qatar's Free Gaza ship will arrive by the beginning of next week, having originally set sail from Larnaca Port in Cyprus, PLC member Jamal Al-Khudari said in a statement on Tuesday. Al-Khuadri is also the head of the semi-official Popular Committee Against the Siege, which is based in Gaza City.

The ship is carrying medical aid and representatives of relief associations, as well as journalists, Al-Khudari added.

The PLC member quoted Qatari officials as having said that the ship "is not the last" sent to end the siege, and thanked Qatar's royal family, its government and citizens for "such firm material and moral support for the Palestinian people."

International, Palestinian and Israeli human rights advocates have successfully sailed to Gaza three times since August.