A Libyan aid ship scheduled to reach Gaza and deliver much-needed humanitarian aid and supplies to the beleaguered Palestinian region changed course yesterday and headed to Egypt instead. The move was a direct response to an Israeli attack of humanitarian ships recently and was meant to avoid further conflicts in the area. Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Egypt’s foreign minister, told reporters that his government would let the ship, dubbed "Amalthea," through and that the boat would dock, offload its cargo to aid group Red Crescent, and have the cargo delivered to Gaza.
Organizers of the Amalthea’s mission noted that the ship would go to Gaza regardless of an Israeli blockade, though Israel repeatedly noted that it would not allow this to happen. The last time the Israeli military tangled with untrained humanitarian aide workers, 9 of the latter ended up dead in a violent confrontation.
Hamas leaders in Gaza had been urging the Amalthea to come through the blockade and referred to the ship "our moving hope in the Mediterranean Sea." Ismail Haniyeh, head of the Hamas government in the region also noted, "Beware not to fall into the trap and stop in a port other than Gaza." A spokesman for the mission noted that the ship would try to reach Gaza, but that those on board would not violently resist any efforts to stop them. Youssef Sawani, an official with the Gadhafi International Charity and Development Foundation, noted, "First and foremost, we want to arrive in Gaza. If this is impossible, we don’t want to subject anyone to danger."
Organizers of the Amalthea’s mission noted that the ship would go to Gaza regardless of an Israeli blockade, though Israel repeatedly noted that it would not allow this to happen. The last time the Israeli military tangled with untrained humanitarian aide workers, 9 of the latter ended up dead in a violent confrontation.
Hamas leaders in Gaza had been urging the Amalthea to come through the blockade and referred to the ship "our moving hope in the Mediterranean Sea." Ismail Haniyeh, head of the Hamas government in the region also noted, "Beware not to fall into the trap and stop in a port other than Gaza." A spokesman for the mission noted that the ship would try to reach Gaza, but that those on board would not violently resist any efforts to stop them. Youssef Sawani, an official with the Gadhafi International Charity and Development Foundation, noted, "First and foremost, we want to arrive in Gaza. If this is impossible, we don’t want to subject anyone to danger."
