The Gaza armada
A fleet with as many as 20 ships is planned to head for Gaza in April in a bid to break what is called Israel's 'blockade' of the coastal strip. Five of the ships will come from the Turkish IHHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation, while others may come from Venezuela, South Africa and Britain. The cargo ships are to carry “Israeli-embargoed building materials, generators, medication, medical equipment and educational materials.” In addition, passenger ships accompanying the cargo ships are scheduled to carry “journalists, human rights advocates, activists and lawmakers from various countries.”I'm not aware of any medication or medical equipment that Israel bars from Gaza.
Other reports of planned “humanitarian” flotillas headed for Gaza have been publicized of late. Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez was said to be planning to join one of them, along with anti-apartheid activists from South Africa. The ships were said to be planning to set sail for Gaza in March, in a convoy initiated by Hamas terror activist Muhammad Sualha, currently in Britain.
In late 2008, the “Free Gaza” movement sent a ship towards Gaza, with former U.S. Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney aboard. Israel declared the coastal area a "closed military zone," but when the boat continued towards Gaza and tried to outmaneuver an Israel Navy patrol boat; a collision ensued, and the ship ultimately set sail for Lebanon after taking on water.
In any event, here's what's likely to happen to those ships. Let's go to the videotape.
Heh.
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 12:59 PM
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