Israeli Navy to confront Free Gaza Movement activist Yvonne Ridley

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 15:54:56 GMT
Israeli navy is ordered to turn back a group of foreign activists from their journey to break the long-running siege on the Gaza Strip.

Officials said the navy had a number of options in dealing with the boats which have departed Cyprus to Gaza via a stop-over in Cyprus, the Jpost reported on Monday.

The boats are supposed to approach the coastal enclave in the second half of this week. Among the organizers of the Free Gaza Movement, is Yvonne Ridley, the Press TV presenter and activist, Lauren Booth, the sister-in-law of the former British PM, Tony Blair, and Hedy Epstein an 82-year-old Holocaust survivor. The group has chosen nonviolent civil resistance against the unjust policies of occupation to show that everyone of conscience can participate in resisting injustice. Gaza Strip has been under siege since Hamas took power in the populated coastal region. Israel ordered a full-scale blockade of the enclave, preventing all fuel, food, medicine and humanitarian shipments from entering the territory. Israeli navy however was given a legal right to patrol the Mediterranean waters around Gaza. The regime said Sunday that the waters around the enclave fell under Israeli sovereignty after an agreement with the Palestinian Authority. The Free Gaza Movement says its campaign is aimed at providing civilians in the Gaza Strip with humanitarian aid. SB/DA