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Hamas aid flotilla set for final leg to Gaza
[Al Arabiya Latest] An aid flotilla bound for Gaza in defiance of an Israeli embargo was poised to set sail on Saturday, after a delay caused by technical snags and fears Israel might seize one of the ships, organizers said.Hundreds of activists waiting in international waters off Cyprus were bracing for the final leg of their attempt to bust the Gaza Strip embargo -- a bid Israel has vowed to thwart. Cypriot authorities prevented activists from leaving the island on Friday to join the flotilla. "Anything related to the trip to Gaza is not permitted," said Cyprus police spokesman Michalis Katsounotos. "We are bitterly disappointed with the Cypriot government," said Greta Berlin, a spokeswoman for Free Gaza Movement, the group spearheading the effort. But organizers were still trying to haggle with the Cypriot authorities before midday on Saturday to try to arrange the transfer to the flotilla of a group of 25 multi-national parliamentarians waiting on the island. "We are currently sailing to the limits of Cypriot waters to try and negotiate with authorities," Thomas Sommer-Houdeville, a French pro-Palestinian activist on board one of the vessels, said. The Cyprus authorities "last night (Friday) detained the captains of boats that were trying to take the MPs on board," he told AFP by telephone, adding that the mariners were released shortly afterwards. Organizers have accused the Cyprus government of reneging on an earlier agreement to let the flotilla sail from Cyprus waters, alleging Israeli pressure which Nicosia has denied. Posted by: Fred 2010-05-30 |
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