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Humanitarian Ships Continue Journey to Gaza Strip; Israel to Block

   VOA News 30 May 2010
   Palestinian fishermen prepare their boat ahead of the expected arrival
   of  a flotilla of hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists trying to sail
   into the Gaza Strip, in Gaza city, 28 May 2010

Photo: AP

   Palestinian fishermen prepare their boat ahead of the expected arrival
   of a humanitarian flotilla trying to sail into the Gaza Strip, in Gaza
   city, 28 May 2010

   Pro-Palestinian activists are continuing a mission to sail with 10,000
   tons  of humanitarian supplies to the Gaza Strip, in spite of warnings
   from the Israeli navy.
   One  of the convoy's organizers, Greta Berlin, says the boats began to
   leave waters near Cyprus on Sunday.
   It  was  not  clear when the group of several ships would complete the
   almost   400-kilometer  journey,  which  has  stalled  amid  technical
   problems.
   Israel  has  deployed  several gunships near its coast, while Israel's
   deputy  foreign  minister  has  said  the  military will not allow the
   humanitarian  ships  to  reach  Palestinian  territory.  Danny Ayalon
   called the aid mission a provocation.
   The  more than 600 activists aboard the humanitarian ships are seeking
   to  avoid  a  blockade  on  the  Gaza  Strip.  Israel and Egypt began
   restricting  access to the territory in 2007, after the militant group
   Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip.
   The  Hamas leader in Gaza, Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, welcomed the
   expected shipment and called the mission a victory for the territory.

   As a result of the Israel blockade of Gaza, Palestinian residents have
   been  unable  to  rebuild  the  thousands of homes that were destroyed
   during Israel's war on the Strip in 2008 and 2009.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

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