Gaza Aid Ship 'Diverts' to Egypt

Libyan aid ship to Gaza diverted to Egypt on July 13, 2010. A previous attempt to deliver aid to Gaza resulted in the Israeli Navy's attack on the Freedom Flotilla where 9 Turkish nationals were massacred on May 31.
Originally uploaded by Pan-African News Wire File Photos

Tuesday, July 13, 2010
21:21 Mecca time, 18:21 GMT

Gaza aid ship 'diverts' to Egypt

Organisers say the ship is carrying 2,000 tonnes of food and medicine for Gaza

The Libyan aid ship bound for the Gaza Strip has apparently changed
course for Egypt following a warning from the Israeli navy.

The vessel, Al-Amal, now appears bound for the Egyptian port of
El-Arish, on the Sinai peninsula. The Israeli navy warned the vessel
on Tuesday to change course, and said it had "begun preparations for stopping the ship".

Egyptian officials have given the ship permission to dock at El-Arish.

The ship is carrying 12 crew members and at least nine passengers,
including six Libyans and one each from Algeria, Morocco and Nigeria. Organisers say the ship is transporting 2,000 tonnes of food and medicine for people in the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli navy denied reports that it issued any ultimatum to the
ship. Organisers on board said the navy warned it would take over the ship if it did not change course.

Egyptian offer

Ahmed Aboul Gheit, the Egyptian foreign minister, said earlier on
Tuesday that Egyptian authorities would unload the aid and distribute
it into Gaza if the ship docks at El-Arish.

The ship set sail from Greece on Saturday. The Israeli government has warned that allowing the ship to breach the Gaza blockade would have "very serious consequences" for Israeli security.

"Israel will not let the boat reach Gaza," Yossi Peled, a minister in
the Israeli cabinet, said on Sunday.

An attempt by a flotilla of aid vessels to breach the blockade in May
led to the deaths of nine pro-Palestinian activists after Israeli
commandos boarded the lead ship.

Following an international outcry over the raid, Israel recently eased
restrictions on the Gaza Strip, allowing some previously-banned items into the territory. But construction materials remain heavily
restricted, Gazans have very limited freedom of movement, and Israel
still enforces a naval blockade of the territory.

Source: Al-Jazeera and agencies