Islam Times - Gaza-bound ship to break Israeli blockade

Islam Times - A Swedish ship transporting 17 activists from several countries has left the Italian port city of Naples for the besieged Gaza Strip to break the Israeli blockade.

Hundreds of well-wishers gathered at the port on Saturday to see off the vessel, which is loaded with humanitarian aid for the Palestinians of Gaza and is expected to arrive in two weeks.

“My hope for this journey is that we will be able to reach Gaza with what we bring to people and my hope is that the world will see that this siege is unfair and it is counter-productive,” said Victoria Strand, the spokesperson for the activists.

“This action comes from people to people, from me, as a human being, as a mother, as grandmother to other mothers and grandmothers that have children and grand-children and I think they have the same right to live in a normal way as I have.”

On May 31, 2010, Israeli forces attacked the Gaza-bound humanitarian Freedom Flotilla in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea, killing nine Turkish nationals aboard Turkey’s Mavi Marmara and injuring about 50 other activists who were part of the six-ship convoy.

Also in November 2011, a Canadian and an Irish yacht were prevented by Israeli forces in the international waters to transport pro-Palestinian activists and medical supplies to Gaza.

The Israeli regime denies about 1.7 million people in Gaza their basic rights, including the freedom of movement and the right to decent living, work, health and education.