Despite “Israeli” Threats, the Libyan “Amalthea” on Way to Gaza

Local Editor

A Libyan Gaza aid ship has left Greece for Egypt under "Israeli" pressure, meanwhile sailing to Gaza as organizers say it intends to defy the Zionist state's blockade of the Palestinian enclave.

The ship's agent and the Greek foreign ministry said the vessel chartered to a charity headed by a son of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi departed on Saturday for the Egyptian port of Al Arish.

The Moldova-flagged cargo ship, the Amalthea (Greek for Tender Goddess), organized by the Tripoli-based Gaddafi International Charity and Development Association, is carrying 12 crewmembers and 2,000 tons of relief supplies from Greece to the Gaza Strip.

"All the ship's documents are in order, they indicate as its destination the Egyptian port of Al Arish," said Petros Arvanitis, the agent of the cargo ship Amalthea.
"The ship is heading toward Gaza as planned," Youssef Sawan, the charity's executive director, told AFP by telephone from Tripoli.

"This is a purely humane mission, it is neither provocative nor hostile," he added. The ship intends to head to Gaza in a bid to defy the blockade of the impoverished Palestinian enclave.
Moreover, Mashallah Zwei, an organizer of the pro-Palestinian move said "We are heading for Gaza. We will not change direction."

Zwei, who is among the activists, said the organization was not seeking "a confrontation or a provocation."

"For the time being our only thought is delivering the aid to Gaza," he said. "We are supported by the international community, who, we hope, will help us reach our goal."

As for the Zionist part, "Israeli" minister without portfolio Yossi Peled had said earlier that ""Israel" will not let the boat reach Gaza," claiming there would be "very serious consequences". In addition, "Israeli" Defense Minister Ehud Barak had also branded the humanitarian bid as "unnecessary provocation."

This latest attempt to defy the blockade and the efforts by Tel Aviv to stop the aid ship come after the killings on May 31 of eight Turks and a dual US-Turkish citizen when "Israeli" commandos attacked a flotilla heading for Gaza, sparking a furious row with Ankara which wants "Israel" to apologize or accept an international probe.

"Israel" has refused to apologize, claiming its commandos only used force to defend themselves after being ambushed.