Free Gaza expedition return to Cyprus just hours after setting out for Gaza - and departs again
Marian Houk
January 13, 2009
The absence of news about what is going on with this sixth Free Gaza expedition is very curious, very curious indeed.
Apparently, the expedition encountered rough seas soon after setting out from Larnaca on Monday afternoon, then returned to port a few hours later. Then, it was explained that there had been some damage to the ship's generator.
The ship being used for this expedition, Spirit of Humanity, would set sail for Gaza again Tuesday, it was reported --if repairs could be made -- despite the continuation into the 18th day of the Israeli Defense Force's Operation Cast Iron, during which Israel has for the first time imposed a formal naval blockade on Gaza's territorial waters (delineated as a "fishing zone", then as a "zone of economic activity", in the Oslo accords).
The Free Gaza movement website has absolutely no notice about the supposed damage, the return to Cyprus, or the possible second departure on Tuesday -- no update at all. Some of the phone contacts listed for information do not answer. Others are unusually close-mouthed.
Only a very few media outlets are reporting anything at all -- China's Xinhua News Agency, and a Taiwan website picked up an AP story from Cyprus about the supposed damage and return to Larnaca for repair. One Cypriot website, and one in Greece, have provided some details. Another one in the United Arab Emirates -- www.7days.ae -- seems to have the most recent news, from a Dubai-based doctor on board.
The Cypriot website reported that "Coordinator of the mission and Free Gaza Movement representative Vangelis Pissias said that the effort to travel to the Gaza Strip comes after the attack [in the high seas, according to the Free Gaza movement, at the end of December, a few days into the IDF military operation against Gaza] against the movement's vessel Dignity and after the destructive operation of the Israelis against the people of Gaza. He said that we cannot remain indifferent, adding that their message is that human beings have to help other people when they suffer and they are in pain ... [He also] noted that there have been threats against the mission, adding that they have received a note which defines the area which Israel has declared as war zone, approximately 20 nautical miles south of Gaza. Responding to a question, he said that they will try to enter Gaza through the normal way and will not provoke anybody". This website report added that "Member of Greek opposition PASOK party (Panhellenic Socialist Movement) Sofia Sakorafa said that activists know about the diplomatic note which the Republic of Cyprus has received from Israel to prevent the sailing of the ship and added that the mission was informed by the Cyprus government about the issue". This report can be read in full here.
The UAE website, 7DAYS, reported that: "Dr Ali Dabbagh was speaking on the phone to 7DAYS when news came through from the Israeli embassy in Cyprus that the navy would use all possible methods to stop the boat from reaching Gaza. Dr Dabbagh, a 52-year-old Dubai-based eye specialist, was standing onboard a Greek-registered ship laden with medical supplies when the Israeli response was announced. He lifted up his mobile phone as the ship´s captain asked if anyone wanted to turn back. 'They answer is unanimous. Nobody is going to turn back', he told 7DAYS ... Dabbagh rushed to the Cypriot port of Larnaca last week after hearing that the US-based group ´Free Gaza Movement´ was attempting a second emergency relief mission after it was previously rammed by the Israeli navy. Dr Dabbagh said last night that the group had faxed the Israelis a full list of all passengers and supplies on board "right down to the nitty gritty" ... Dr Dabbagh´s wife, Sana, said the Free Gaza Movement ship, The Spirit of Humanity, would likely be reinforced with extra exterior protection before it tries to make it through the Israeli blockade. She said she was deeply worried for her husband but 'understood completely' why he wanted to carry out the mission. 'He is not trying to be a hero. People must understand that. He is just doing the right thing under the circumstances and bring supplies to the people of Gaza', she said ... If Dr Dabbagh reaches Gaza, it will be the first time he will have been there since the 1950s. His Palestinian father was forced to flee the territory with his family after the creation of Israel in 1948". This report can be read in full here.
A Cypriot source told me just now that the ship was supposed to sail around 4 or 5 pm on Tuesday, but there is no confirmation about whether or not they actually did. "They didn't let us know", he said. He also said he was informed that the number of persons on board the Spirit of Humanity -- if it is sailing tonight -- is indeed now fewer than the 34 who set sail yesterday.
In a curious development, Matthew Lee reports from the United Nations on his Inner City Press blog today that "On UN computers, the website of the Free Gaza Movement is blocked. Inner City Press asked about its attempts to deliver aid to Gaza by ship at the UN's noon briefing on Tuesday... Later in the day, alerted by a UN staff member that the web site had been blocked, Inner City Press typed it in: www.freegaza.org. This results in a message from the 'ICT Security Unit' that 'you have been redirected to this page because the site you are attempting to access is blocked according to the policy as detailed in ST/SGB/2004/15'. This Secretary-General's Bulletin allows staff 'limited personal use of ICT resources' unless these involve 'pornography or engaging in gambling' or would 'compromise the interests or the reputation of the Organization'."
Matthew Lee adds as a footnote to this post that "At 5:15 p.m. on Tuesday Inner City Press learned that the UN General Assembly will hold its postponed special session on Gaza this Thursday at 10 am. During Tuesday morning's closed door consultations in the Security Council, France's Jean-Maurice Ripert said that the General Assembly should be careful to remain consistent with the Council. Why?" This post can be read in full here.
Meanwhile, Iranian radio has reported that an Iranian ship carrying aid to Gaza was turned back by the Israeli navy on Tuesday. Ma'an News Agency in Bethlehem says that the radio reported that "An Iranian ship that was carrying foodstuff and medicine was stopped by the Zionist regime's navy 20 miles off the coast of Gaza", and added that "the ship had left the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas 13 days earlier, according to Reuters. On Monday night Iran´s foreign minster said the ship had passed through the Egypt´s Port Said and was en route to the Israeli-blockaded Gaza Strip". Ma'an added that "In a statement on Tuesday morning Israel said its Navy 'assisted in enforcing the marine closure on the Gaza Strip in preventing the entering of boats that might arrive in the area'." This report by Ma'an News Agency can be read in full here.
But, Reuters has reported that "Iranian state radio said an Iranian ship carrying aid to the Gaza Strip was stopped by Israel's navy off the coast of the Palestinian territory. An Israeli military spokesman said he had no report of any such encounter". This Reuters report can be read in full here .
A Qatari ship and a Libyan ship carrying supplies for Gaza were both turned around by the Israeli Navy, both before the current Israeli military operation in Gaza.
Apparently, the expedition encountered rough seas soon after setting out from Larnaca on Monday afternoon, then returned to port a few hours later. Then, it was explained that there had been some damage to the ship's generator.
The ship being used for this expedition, Spirit of Humanity, would set sail for Gaza again Tuesday, it was reported --if repairs could be made -- despite the continuation into the 18th day of the Israeli Defense Force's Operation Cast Iron, during which Israel has for the first time imposed a formal naval blockade on Gaza's territorial waters (delineated as a "fishing zone", then as a "zone of economic activity", in the Oslo accords).
The Free Gaza movement website has absolutely no notice about the supposed damage, the return to Cyprus, or the possible second departure on Tuesday -- no update at all. Some of the phone contacts listed for information do not answer. Others are unusually close-mouthed.
Only a very few media outlets are reporting anything at all -- China's Xinhua News Agency, and a Taiwan website picked up an AP story from Cyprus about the supposed damage and return to Larnaca for repair. One Cypriot website, and one in Greece, have provided some details. Another one in the United Arab Emirates -- www.7days.ae -- seems to have the most recent news, from a Dubai-based doctor on board.
The Cypriot website reported that "Coordinator of the mission and Free Gaza Movement representative Vangelis Pissias said that the effort to travel to the Gaza Strip comes after the attack [in the high seas, according to the Free Gaza movement, at the end of December, a few days into the IDF military operation against Gaza] against the movement's vessel Dignity and after the destructive operation of the Israelis against the people of Gaza. He said that we cannot remain indifferent, adding that their message is that human beings have to help other people when they suffer and they are in pain ... [He also] noted that there have been threats against the mission, adding that they have received a note which defines the area which Israel has declared as war zone, approximately 20 nautical miles south of Gaza. Responding to a question, he said that they will try to enter Gaza through the normal way and will not provoke anybody". This website report added that "Member of Greek opposition PASOK party (Panhellenic Socialist Movement) Sofia Sakorafa said that activists know about the diplomatic note which the Republic of Cyprus has received from Israel to prevent the sailing of the ship and added that the mission was informed by the Cyprus government about the issue". This report can be read in full here.
The UAE website, 7DAYS, reported that: "Dr Ali Dabbagh was speaking on the phone to 7DAYS when news came through from the Israeli embassy in Cyprus that the navy would use all possible methods to stop the boat from reaching Gaza. Dr Dabbagh, a 52-year-old Dubai-based eye specialist, was standing onboard a Greek-registered ship laden with medical supplies when the Israeli response was announced. He lifted up his mobile phone as the ship´s captain asked if anyone wanted to turn back. 'They answer is unanimous. Nobody is going to turn back', he told 7DAYS ... Dabbagh rushed to the Cypriot port of Larnaca last week after hearing that the US-based group ´Free Gaza Movement´ was attempting a second emergency relief mission after it was previously rammed by the Israeli navy. Dr Dabbagh said last night that the group had faxed the Israelis a full list of all passengers and supplies on board "right down to the nitty gritty" ... Dr Dabbagh´s wife, Sana, said the Free Gaza Movement ship, The Spirit of Humanity, would likely be reinforced with extra exterior protection before it tries to make it through the Israeli blockade. She said she was deeply worried for her husband but 'understood completely' why he wanted to carry out the mission. 'He is not trying to be a hero. People must understand that. He is just doing the right thing under the circumstances and bring supplies to the people of Gaza', she said ... If Dr Dabbagh reaches Gaza, it will be the first time he will have been there since the 1950s. His Palestinian father was forced to flee the territory with his family after the creation of Israel in 1948". This report can be read in full here.
A Cypriot source told me just now that the ship was supposed to sail around 4 or 5 pm on Tuesday, but there is no confirmation about whether or not they actually did. "They didn't let us know", he said. He also said he was informed that the number of persons on board the Spirit of Humanity -- if it is sailing tonight -- is indeed now fewer than the 34 who set sail yesterday.
In a curious development, Matthew Lee reports from the United Nations on his Inner City Press blog today that "On UN computers, the website of the Free Gaza Movement is blocked. Inner City Press asked about its attempts to deliver aid to Gaza by ship at the UN's noon briefing on Tuesday... Later in the day, alerted by a UN staff member that the web site had been blocked, Inner City Press typed it in: www.freegaza.org. This results in a message from the 'ICT Security Unit' that 'you have been redirected to this page because the site you are attempting to access is blocked according to the policy as detailed in ST/SGB/2004/15'. This Secretary-General's Bulletin allows staff 'limited personal use of ICT resources' unless these involve 'pornography or engaging in gambling' or would 'compromise the interests or the reputation of the Organization'."
Matthew Lee adds as a footnote to this post that "At 5:15 p.m. on Tuesday Inner City Press learned that the UN General Assembly will hold its postponed special session on Gaza this Thursday at 10 am. During Tuesday morning's closed door consultations in the Security Council, France's Jean-Maurice Ripert said that the General Assembly should be careful to remain consistent with the Council. Why?" This post can be read in full here.
Meanwhile, Iranian radio has reported that an Iranian ship carrying aid to Gaza was turned back by the Israeli navy on Tuesday. Ma'an News Agency in Bethlehem says that the radio reported that "An Iranian ship that was carrying foodstuff and medicine was stopped by the Zionist regime's navy 20 miles off the coast of Gaza", and added that "the ship had left the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas 13 days earlier, according to Reuters. On Monday night Iran´s foreign minster said the ship had passed through the Egypt´s Port Said and was en route to the Israeli-blockaded Gaza Strip". Ma'an added that "In a statement on Tuesday morning Israel said its Navy 'assisted in enforcing the marine closure on the Gaza Strip in preventing the entering of boats that might arrive in the area'." This report by Ma'an News Agency can be read in full here.
But, Reuters has reported that "Iranian state radio said an Iranian ship carrying aid to the Gaza Strip was stopped by Israel's navy off the coast of the Palestinian territory. An Israeli military spokesman said he had no report of any such encounter". This Reuters report can be read in full here .
A Qatari ship and a Libyan ship carrying supplies for Gaza were both turned around by the Israeli Navy, both before the current Israeli military operation in Gaza.
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