July 2, 2009

Gaza mercy ship seized by Israel


by David Masters

Israeli forces have kidnapped 21 human rights workers who were attempting to take medicines and aid to Palestinians in Gaza.

The workers, from 11 different countries, were travelling into Gaza with the aid supplies aboard the Free Gaza Movement boat, the Spirit of Humanity, when the boat was attacked and boarded by the Israeli navy.

Among the 21 workers forcibly taken were Nobel Laureate Mairead Maguire and former US Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney.

“This is an outrageous violation of international law against us,” said McKinney, a former US presidential candidate.

“Our boat was not in Israeli waters and we were on a human rights mission to the Gaza Strip.”

The ‘mercy ship’ has made a number of recent voyages to Gaza, including a recent trip taking European politicians to the region.

A report published this week by the International Committee of the Red Cross said Palestinians in Gaza are “trapped in despair”, with thousands still homeless in the aftermath of the Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip in December and January.

Hospitals in Gaza are struggling to adequately treat patients, the report said, because Israel is disrupting the supply of medicines and medical equipment, despite demands from the Obama administration to let supplies in.

“President Obama just told Israel to let in humanitarian and reconstruction supplies and that’s exactly what we tried to do,” McKinney said.

“We’re asking the international community to demand our release so we can resume our journey.”

Mairead Maguire, winner of a Noble Peace Prize for her work in Northern Ireland, added: “The aid we were carrying is a symbol of hope for the people of Gaza, hope that the sea route would open for them, and they would be able to transport their own materials to begin to reconstruct the schools, hospitals and thousands of homes destroyed during the onslaught.

“Our mission is a gesture to the people of Gaza that we stand by them and that they are not alone.”

A total of eight UK nationals and residents were aboard the boat.

The British Foreign Office said it is aware of reports that the boat has been seized, and is working to establish the facts.

“We would be concerned if the stories of the Israeli Navy boarding the boat in international waters were true,” a Foreign Office spokeswoman said.

“We have made it clear to Israel that we are very concerned for the safety of British nationals.”

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