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Organizers of the flotilla seeking to break Israel’s blockade over the Gaza Strip are considering an offer by Athens to allow Greek Navy ships to transfer the humanitarian aid they had planned to bring with them to Gaza on their behalf.

Nevertheless, organizers said Sunday night that they were still looking into ways to circumvent a Greek government order preventing the ships from leaving Greece for the Gaza Strip.

“It is possible that this is under consideration but…that is not considered breaking the siege,” said Ewa Jasiewicz, one of the leaders of the Free Gaza Movement, which is in charge of the flotilla. “We want to break the siege and the flotilla is not about expanding the drip of humanitarian aid to Gaza.”

Jasiewicz said that organizers were still looking into ways to sail out of Greece, which on Friday issued an order banning the ships from sailing to Gaza and later detained the captain of the US-flagged “Audacity of Hope” after he tried leaving port. She hinted to the possibility that some of the ships would consider sailing despite the Greek order.

Also on Sunday, activists intending to participate in the flotilla to Gaza on-board the US-flagged ship The Audacity of Hope announced an open-ended hunger strike, aimed at pressuring the US government to allow the ship to set sail to the Strip, organizers said in a press release Sunday.

Eight of the passengers, including Code Pink co-founder Medea Benjamin (now that they don't have any wars to protest...) and former CIA official Ray McGovern, were listed as those participated in the hunger strike.

Additionally, the group said it would be holding a protest in front of the US embassy in Athens to publicly make their call to the US government. "We call on officials at the US embassy in Athens to publicly acknowledge our right to sail and to call on the Greek government to free our ship and its captain immediately," American activist and hopeful flotilla passenger Kathy Kelly said in the statement.

Due to the chance that the ships might still set sail, the Israel Navy is continuing to maintain a state of readiness if it will need to stop the ships from reaching Gaza. On Sunday, senior government officials expressed optimism with the setbacks that the flotilla was continuing to encounter and pointed to the fact that some of the participants had already given up and left Greece back for their home countries.

"We obviously still need to prepare for the possibility that flotillas will arrive,” Defense Minister Ehud Barak said before the weekly cabinet meeting. “We are seeing positive developments regarding the flotilla. The governments of Greece, Cyprus, and Turkey are actively stopping it. This is a result of extensive work by the Foreign Ministry and the prime minister."

Meanwhile Sunday, Hamas called on Greece to overturn its decision and to allow the ships top sail to Gaza. Hamas’s foreign minister said it was regrettable that Greece had succumbed to international pressure.

why are these idiots so intent on this, when they can either drop their goods off in israel or egypt to be properly inspected before entry into gaza?

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Because its not about taking supplies and humanitarian aid to Gaza.

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Originally Posted by Dennis Young:
Because its not about taking supplies and humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Exactly, it's all about points-scoring against israel. We regularly have a protest here in the city center for "ending the siege on gaza", and you get to sign a petition which they then send to the Israeli embassy (like that'll have them quaking in their boots - is mostly the same signatures every time I'd guess). I went up to them last weekend and asked if they were sending it to the Egyptian embassy as well. Blank faces.  I said "well, the egyptians have a big border wall set up with gaza as well, and they're not letting people or goods though. So should you not be trying to get them to open their borders as well?" Was a moment of silence while they absorbed this, then they started abusing me for "buying into the zionist propaganda".    

And last week the Irish boat in the flotilla discovered there was something wrong with the propeller shaft, so they couldn't sail. Straight away they said it was sabotage, that Israeli divers had snuck into the harbour and cut a piece off the propeller shaft. yup, because the irish boat is the biggest threat to the blockade, never mind the other ships, we're so important they need to stop us at all costs....

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0630/1224299796875.html

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actually miles, i read that egypt has lifted its blockade.

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Originally Posted by Dødherre Mørktre:
actually miles, i read that egypt has lifted its blockade.

Really? has anyone told the flotilla so? No need to head for Gaza, job done! :-P

As far as I know they didn't open it totally:

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/05/28/114939/egypt-gaza-border-opening-leaves.html

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And shouldn't this be int he "international" section as well? ;-)

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yeah, i thought about that too late.

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ATHENS, Greece — Pro-Palestinian activists say two Canadians and an Australian linked to a flotilla that seeks to leave Greece for the Gaza Strip have been detained.

David Heap, a spokesperson for a boat carrying dozens of Canadians that tried to leave Greece despite a ban, said Tuesday the three activists could face charges. He identified them as Canadians Sandra Ruch and Soha Kneen, and Australian Michael Coleman.

The boat tried to leave the southern Greek island of Crete on Monday, but was forced to turn back by Coast Guard vessels.

The American captain of a flotilla boat carrying U.S. activists was arrested in a similar incident Friday.

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Originally Posted by Kieran Colfer:


And last week the Irish boat in the flotilla discovered there was something wrong with the propeller shaft, so they couldn't sail. Straight away they said it was sabotage, that Israeli divers had snuck into the harbour and cut a piece off the propeller shaft. yup, because the irish boat is the biggest threat to the blockade, never mind the other ships, we're so important they need to stop us at all costs....

Of course!  If it rains tomorrow, its a Zionist plot.

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Originally Posted by Dødherre Mørktre:
ATHENS, Greece — Pro-Palestinian activists say two Canadians and an Australian linked to a flotilla that seeks to leave Greece for the Gaza Strip have been detained.

David Heap, a spokesperson for a boat carrying dozens of Canadians that tried to leave Greece despite a ban, said Tuesday the three activists could face charges. He identified them as Canadians Sandra Ruch and Soha Kneen, and Australian Michael Coleman.

The boat tried to leave the southern Greek island of Crete on Monday, but was forced to turn back by Coast Guard vessels.

The American captain of a flotilla boat carrying U.S. activists was arrested in a similar incident Friday.

I read this too and cheered when I heard.  Makes me wonder who these people arrested really are.