Greece on Friday banned vessels from leaving its shores to join a planned flotilla aimed at breaking Israel’s sea blockade of the Gaza Strip. Organizers say they hope to sail to Gaza in coming days with at least nine boats loaded with humanitarian aid for the Palestinians. Israel vows to prevent the flotilla from reaching […]
Greece Bans Ships From Leaving Its Ports in Gaza Flotilla
Irish Ship Drops Out of Gaza Flotilla; Organizers Vow to Sail
An Irish ship has dropped out the international flotilla preparing to break an Israeli naval blockade of the Gaza Strip as pro-Palestinian organizers accused Israel of sabotage and declared the convoy may sail from Greece without permission. Activists said Thursday they discovered damage to the engine of the Irish boat Saoirse in the Turkish port […]
Gaza Flotilla Organizers Accuse Israel of Sabotaging 2nd Ship
Organizers of an international flotilla are accusing Israel of sabotaging a second ship that they planned to include in a mission to break an Israeli naval blockade of the Gaza Strip. The organizers said Thursday they had discovered damage to the engine of the Irish boat Saoirse in the Turkish port of Gocek, where it […]
Flotilla Organizers Say No Plan for Harm Soldiers
An organizer of a flotilla planning to challenge Israel’s sea blockade of the Gaza Strip says participants have no intention of harming Israeli soldiers who may be dispatched to stop them. Dro Feiler told Israel’s Army Radio on Tuesday that violence will not be permitted, and said Israel should provide organizers with the names of […]
Organizers: Israel Pressuring Greece to Halt Flotilla
Organizers of a flotilla planning to challenge Israel’s sea blockade of the Gaza Strip say they will sail within the next few days. They called on Greek authorities to let them depart despite mounting diplomatic pressure from the Israeli government. In Athens Monday, a loose coalition of activist groups said Greece was putting up “administrative […]
Israel Orders Military to Stop Gaza Flotilla
Israel’s security cabinet has ordered the country’s military to prevent a planned flotilla from reaching the Gaza Strip but to avoid clashes with activists on board. The senior ministers on Monday also instructed Israel’s foreign ministry to continue its diplomatic efforts to prevent the flotilla from setting sail to the Palestinian territory, which is under […]
Israel Warns Journalists Against Gaza-Bound Flotilla
Israel has warned that journalists found onboard a planned flotilla to the Gaza Strip will be banned from the country for 10 years and face other sanctions. The head of the government press office said in a letter to journalists Sunday that the flotilla is being organized by Western and Islamic extremists, and that those […]
US Opposes New Flotilla Challenging Israel’s Gaza Blockade
The United States Friday sharpened its warnings to activists planning a new attempt to break the Israeli naval blockade and deliver relief supplies to Palestinians in the Gaza strip. The Obama administration says the United States is making diplomatic appeals to countries around the eastern Mediterranean, including Israel, to avoid a repeat of the deaths […]
US Opposes New Flotilla Challenging Israel’s Gaza Blockade
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says she opposes plans by pro-Palestinian activists to again try to challenge Israel’s sea blockade of the Gaza Strip. Clinton said Thursday the planned flotilla was neither “necessary or useful” in trying to assist Palestinians living in Gaza and would only increase tensions. She said any ships entering Israeli […]
Turkish Ship Out of Aid Flotilla to Gaza
A Turkish boat has opted out of an international aid flotilla headed to the Gaza Strip later this month in defiance of an Israeli naval blockade around the Palestinian territory. Aid organizers said Friday that the Mavi Marmara will not join the estimated 10 other ships because of technical problems. The Turkish ship was boarded […]