UPDATED Gaza Latest: Ship Sent by Gadhafi's Son Breaking Israeli Blockade?

UPDATE 1315 GMT: Yousseuf Sawani, a director of the Gaddafi International Charity and Development Foundation, says there are no plans for the aid ship to dock at the Egyptian port of El-Arish.

"This is definitely a part of the campaign against the ship, a campaign of distortion, but we are definitely heading towards Gaza, because that is where aid should be heading to," he told Al Jazeera.
"This is a purely humane mission, it is neither provocative nor hostile," he said.

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman maintained that West Jerusalem will not compromise: "I say very clearly, no ship will arrive in Gaza. We will not permit our sovereignty to be harmed," Lieberman said on Army Radio.

Gaza Special: UN Cancels Middle East Session But Begins Freedom Flotilla Enquiry

UPDATE 1030 GMT: The Libyan Government has told Greece that the aid ship will dock in el-Arish on the coast of Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.

"We confirmed their destination in talks with the Libyan ambassador and the ship's agent," Greek foreign ministry spokesman Grigoris Delavekouras told the Associated Press.

A Moldavan-flagged ship named "Amalthia", carrying aid from Libya, is departing from the Greek port of Lavrio, with 12 crew, 15 activists and supporters, and about 2,000 tons of humanitarian aid. The goods are supplied by the Gadhafi International Charity and Development Association, which is headed by Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi, the second-born son of the Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi.

On Friday, Israeli ambassador to the UN Gabriela Shalev wrote to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon:

Israel calls upon the international community to exert its influence on the government of Libya to demonstrate responsibility and prevent the ship from departing to the Gaza Strip.

Israel reserves the right under international law to prevent this ship from violating the existing naval blockade on the Gaza Strip.

Reportedly having reached an agreement with both Greece and Moldova, Israeli Foreign Ministry announced on Saturday that the captain of the ship changed the destination to Egypt's el-Arish port.

Later Saturday, Palestinian Legislative Council member Jamal Al-Khudari and Israeli Arab MK Ahmed Tibi (Ra'am Ta'al) told the Palestinian news agency Ma'an that the aid ship will head to Gaza's port in the coming hours and will not be diverted.

Comments

[Catherine]

Libyan ship 'will continue to Gaza'

Organisers of a Libya-sponsored aid ship have said they will continue their attempt to break the naval blockade of the Gaza Strip, despite Israeli claims that the vessel would instead sail to Egypt.

Yousseuf Sawani, a director of the Gaddafi International Charity and Development Foundation, told Al Jazeera that there were no plans for the Al-Amal to dock at the port El-Arish.

"This is definitely a part of the campaign against the ship, a campaign of distortion, but we are definitely heading towards Gaza, because that is where aid should be heading to," he told Al Jazeera.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/07/20107117423331662.html" rel="nofollow">http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/20...

[Gaza Latest: Ship Sent by Gadh]

[...] Read more here « Leader of governors group focuses on college grads – The Associated Press Women Bishops in the CofE – Voting at General Synod » [...]

[Catherine]

And now for the next shipping headache. The committee appointed by the Israeli Defense Force to investigate the army's handling of the flotilla takeover will submit its report on Monday, but advance drafts have already been reported in the press.

Army inquiry slams flotilla raid's planning

IDF inquiry's draft report on lethal flotilla raid does not single out any military officials but offers extensive criticism; operation's planners clung to false conception, did not prepare alternatives in case of major violence on board ships, report says
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0%2C7340%2CL-3917176%2C00.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-39171...

[postroad]

As has been noted: there is more than enough help needed in Libya and thus sending aid to Gaza is a gesture of defiance rather than a humanitaian gesture.