"We had no choice": Free Gaza expedition turns around after confrontation at sea with Israeli Navy
Marian Houk
January 16, 2009
A Free Gaza spokeswoman in Cyprus confirmed on Thursday morning that the sixth Free Gaza expedition, on board the Spirit of Humanity ship, has turned around and is heading back to Cyprus, after a confrontation with the Israeli Navy just before dawn this morning that apparently did take place on the high seas, in international waters.
The Spirit of Humanity was "surrounded by Israeli gunboats, which were crossing back and forth in front of our ship in a very dangerous way, and ordered to turn around," said spokeswoman Mary Hughes. "We had no choice".
The Free Gaza movement says the naval officers threatened to shoot, but the IDF has denied this.
A Cypriot source said that the Israeli Navy challenge to the Free Gaza expedition occurred 70 miles away from Gaza.
Israel formally announced, for the first time, a naval blockade of Gaza's territorial waters to a distance of 20 nautical miles out from shore -- the distance specified as Gaza's "fishing" space, or "economic activity" space, according to maps agreed in 1995 and 1995 as part of the Oslo Accords. The naval blockade was announced just after the IDF began its ground operation in Gaza on 3 January, and was unchallenged.
The Cypriot source added that "We were worried that they would hit the ship again, as they did the last time. But the Free Gaza people were not hurt at all -- although the Israeli Navy did use very strong lights against them, to blind them".
The ship should arrive back in Cyprus around 8pm tonight, the source said.
About two hours earlier, the Free Gaza movement sent out a message reporting that "At roughly 3am UST (1am GMT), in international waters 100 miles off the coast of Gaza, at least five Israeli gunboats surrounded the Spirit of Humanity and began recklessly cutting in front of the slow-moving civilian craft. The Israeli warships radioed the Spirit , demanding that the ship turn around or they would open fire and ´shoot´. When asked if the Israeli navy was acknowledging that they intended to commit a war crime by deliberately firing on unarmed civilians, the warships replied that they were prepared to use ´any means´ to stop the ship" ...
The message also states that "Israel's reckless and shocking threats against an unarmed ship on a mission of mercy are a violation of both international maritime law and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which states that 'the high seas should be reserved for peaceful purposes'."
It noted that "The Free Gaza Movement ship, Spirit of Humanity , left Cyprus Wednesday morning carrying doctors, journalists, human rights workers, and parliamentarians. The ship also carried over a ton of desperately needed medicines donated by the European Campaign to Break the Siege, and intended for overwhelmed hospitals in the Gaza Strip. At the request of the ship's organizers the passenger list and manifest were publicly released, and Cypriot authorities searched the boat prior to its departure in order to certify that it only carried humanitarian items. The organizers also sent an official notification to the Israeli government of their intent to break through the blockade of Gaza".
The Free Gaza website lists this trip as the seventh expedition, and the passenger list on its website shows that 21 passengers and crew were on board, down from the 34 passengers and crew that were on board when the Spirit of Humanity set out the first time, earlier this week -- before the Israeli government made it clear that it intended to use "all available means" to block this effort.
Meanwhile, it seems that Israel's formal naval blockade of Gaza's maritime space has more than one purpose. Reuters news agency reported today that "Israeli officials said Israel was seeking an agreement with Washington on regional and international security guarantees that would bolster Egyptian efforts to ensure Hamas could not replenish its arsenal. The United States and European powers, the officials said, would commit themselves to providing Egypt with advisers and new technology to combat smuggling tunnels. Israel also was seeking an international maritime monitoring effort to prevent rocket smuggling by sea through Egyptian ports to block the shipments before they reach the border, the officials said". This report can be read in full here.
And, the Jerusalem Post's Yaakov Katz reported today that "The Navy is closely tracking an Iranian ship that has attempted several times to breach the naval blockade imposed on Gaza and transport humanitarian aid to the Palestinians. On Tuesday, the boat docked in Port Said, Egypt, but the Egyptians refused to allow it to unload its cargo and at midnight Wednesday the boat tried sailing into Gaza ... On Wednesday morning, when it was 30 miles off the Gaza coast, the Iranian boat again tried to move toward the Strip, and the Navy again intercepted it. It then returned to el-Arish, Egypt, and two Egyptian boats prevented it from docking there. Since that time, the boat has been sitting 30 miles off the coast of Gaza and is being closely tracked by the Israeli navy. Israel and the Egyptians have been coordinating all activity regarding the Iranian boat". This updated report is posted here.
The Spirit of Humanity was "surrounded by Israeli gunboats, which were crossing back and forth in front of our ship in a very dangerous way, and ordered to turn around," said spokeswoman Mary Hughes. "We had no choice".
The Free Gaza movement says the naval officers threatened to shoot, but the IDF has denied this.
A Cypriot source said that the Israeli Navy challenge to the Free Gaza expedition occurred 70 miles away from Gaza.
Israel formally announced, for the first time, a naval blockade of Gaza's territorial waters to a distance of 20 nautical miles out from shore -- the distance specified as Gaza's "fishing" space, or "economic activity" space, according to maps agreed in 1995 and 1995 as part of the Oslo Accords. The naval blockade was announced just after the IDF began its ground operation in Gaza on 3 January, and was unchallenged.
The Cypriot source added that "We were worried that they would hit the ship again, as they did the last time. But the Free Gaza people were not hurt at all -- although the Israeli Navy did use very strong lights against them, to blind them".
The ship should arrive back in Cyprus around 8pm tonight, the source said.
About two hours earlier, the Free Gaza movement sent out a message reporting that "At roughly 3am UST (1am GMT), in international waters 100 miles off the coast of Gaza, at least five Israeli gunboats surrounded the Spirit of Humanity and began recklessly cutting in front of the slow-moving civilian craft. The Israeli warships radioed the Spirit , demanding that the ship turn around or they would open fire and ´shoot´. When asked if the Israeli navy was acknowledging that they intended to commit a war crime by deliberately firing on unarmed civilians, the warships replied that they were prepared to use ´any means´ to stop the ship" ...
The message also states that "Israel's reckless and shocking threats against an unarmed ship on a mission of mercy are a violation of both international maritime law and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which states that 'the high seas should be reserved for peaceful purposes'."
It noted that "The Free Gaza Movement ship, Spirit of Humanity , left Cyprus Wednesday morning carrying doctors, journalists, human rights workers, and parliamentarians. The ship also carried over a ton of desperately needed medicines donated by the European Campaign to Break the Siege, and intended for overwhelmed hospitals in the Gaza Strip. At the request of the ship's organizers the passenger list and manifest were publicly released, and Cypriot authorities searched the boat prior to its departure in order to certify that it only carried humanitarian items. The organizers also sent an official notification to the Israeli government of their intent to break through the blockade of Gaza".
The Free Gaza website lists this trip as the seventh expedition, and the passenger list on its website shows that 21 passengers and crew were on board, down from the 34 passengers and crew that were on board when the Spirit of Humanity set out the first time, earlier this week -- before the Israeli government made it clear that it intended to use "all available means" to block this effort.
Meanwhile, it seems that Israel's formal naval blockade of Gaza's maritime space has more than one purpose. Reuters news agency reported today that "Israeli officials said Israel was seeking an agreement with Washington on regional and international security guarantees that would bolster Egyptian efforts to ensure Hamas could not replenish its arsenal. The United States and European powers, the officials said, would commit themselves to providing Egypt with advisers and new technology to combat smuggling tunnels. Israel also was seeking an international maritime monitoring effort to prevent rocket smuggling by sea through Egyptian ports to block the shipments before they reach the border, the officials said". This report can be read in full here.
And, the Jerusalem Post's Yaakov Katz reported today that "The Navy is closely tracking an Iranian ship that has attempted several times to breach the naval blockade imposed on Gaza and transport humanitarian aid to the Palestinians. On Tuesday, the boat docked in Port Said, Egypt, but the Egyptians refused to allow it to unload its cargo and at midnight Wednesday the boat tried sailing into Gaza ... On Wednesday morning, when it was 30 miles off the Gaza coast, the Iranian boat again tried to move toward the Strip, and the Navy again intercepted it. It then returned to el-Arish, Egypt, and two Egyptian boats prevented it from docking there. Since that time, the boat has been sitting 30 miles off the coast of Gaza and is being closely tracked by the Israeli navy. Israel and the Egyptians have been coordinating all activity regarding the Iranian boat". This updated report is posted here.
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