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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Qatari charity plans aid mission to besieged Gaza |
| 2008-12-03 |
| A Qatari charity said on Monday it plans to ship one ton of medical aid to the Gaza Strip this week in a bid to defy an Israeli blockade on the tiny Palestinian territory. "We intend to send a boat in a symbolic gesture, carrying a ton of medicine to our brothers in Gaza," said Abdallah al-Nimaa, vice president of the Qatar Charity Organization. Nimaa told AFP the ship is set to sail from Doha on Friday, although he said he expects the Israeli authorities to stop the vessel from reaching Gaza, where most of its 1.5 million inhabitants depend on foreign aid. "We expect Israeli warships to bar the Qatari aid ship, however we are determined," he said, adding that the group did not request an Israeli permit. Nimaa's doubt over the ultimate success of the trip was highlighted on Monday by Israeli authorities, who blocked a Libyan ship trying to deliver aid to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, Palestinian officials said. The Al-Marwa sailed instead to a port in neighboring Egypt. It left Libya last Monday, carrying 3,000 tons of food, medicine and other aid, Palestinian and Libyan officials said. Israel, which has in the past allowed ships carrying humanitarian goods to dock in Gaza to avoid a public confrontation, said Al-Marwa had turned back without incident. "They understood that the navy was there and decided to turn around," said Andy David, an Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman. "We have a very clear policy [on the blockade] which is constantly publicized." Palestinian officials said the vessel had left Gaza's shores and its crew was unharmed. The Anti-Siege Committee, a Palestinian group that lobbies with Hamas backing against the embargo, accused Israel of having also blocked Al-Marwa's communications with Gaza. The ship was now docked in Egypt's Al-Arish port, the group said. "We urge all sides to pursue this intifada [uprising] of ships," said Anti-Siege Committee spokesman Ala al-Batta. |
| Posted by:Fred |