[News] Piracy in Palestinian territorial waters

[Anti-Imperialist News]

Piracy in Palestinian territorial waters

http://english.pnn.ps/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4712&Itemid=1
06.02.09 - 11:33

Gaza / PNN – The Israelis committed blatant 
piracy says the European Campaign to Lift the Siege on Gaza.

The reference is to a Lebanese ship carrying aid 
to the Gaza Strip which Israeli naval vessels 
commandeered yesterday. Not only did the Israelis 
take the ship, the humanitarian aid, including blood, they took the passengers.

Gaza City’s Jamal Al Khudari, an independent 
member of the Palestinian Legislative Council and 
the Chairman of the Popular Committee against the 
Siege, issued an urgent call to release the crew. 
He also noted that the Israelis had put their 
lives in danger while still at sea by knocking out communications.A

Among the 20 passengers was an Al Jazeera 
correspondent who reported Israeli forces opening 
fire at the ship, climbing aboard and then beating passengers.

Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said of the 
Israelis, "those who commit massacres against 
innocent civilians in Lebanon and Gaza will not 
hesitate to attack a ship carrying humanitarian supplies to the world."

After holding the ship in Ashdod Port the Israeli 
administration is expelling it to Lebanon and 
deporting the passengers. However one man is missing.

As far as the aid is concerned, the Israelis 
confiscated the medical supplies and humanitarian 
cargo, but says it will transfer 1,000 units of 
blood on board to Gaza City hospitals. Under the 
year and a half siege most medical supplies and 
medicines are periodically banned.

The humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is 
still considered disastrous by human rights 
organizations. PLC member and head of the 
Palestinian National Initiative Dr. Mustafa 
Barghouthi referred to conditions as catastrophic.

The European Campaign said on Friday in a 
statement issued from Brussels that it holds the 
Israeli administration responsible for the lives 
of those on board and called for international 
intervention in stopping Israeli aggressions in Palestinian territorial waters.

“The Israeli piracy comes in the framework of the 
occupation’s efforts to undermine international 
solidarity and break the will of a million and a 
half people trapped in the Palestinian Gaza Strip.”




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