“Hope” sails for Gaza within hours

GAZA,  Independent MP Jamal Al-Khudari, the head of the popular committee against the siege, and the Arab MK Ahmed Al-Tibi have affirmed that the Libyan aid ship “Hope” would set sail from Athens to Gaza within the few coming hours despite threats.

Both parliamentarians, who have been following up preparations of the ship’s trip for weeks, quoted organizers of “Hope” as saying that they were adamant on reaching Gaza despite Israeli obstacles.

Khudari said that the solidarity activists on board the vessel said that their voyage was purely humanitarian aimed at sending relief assistance and medicines to Gaza in addition to break the siege and isolation imposed on the Strip for the past four years.

He said that the Israeli attempts to divert the ship’s destination would not succeed, adding that more ships would sail to Gaza until the blockade imposed on it is completely lifted.

For its part, the Israeli Hebrew daily Yediot Ahronot reported on Saturday that Israeli foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman convinced the foreign ministers of Greece and Moldova (the ships is carrying the flag of Moldova) to instruct the ship to dock at the Egyptian port of El-Arish.