Tuesday 2 December 2008

European campaign appeals to Libyan ship to insist on reaching Gaza

[ 02/12/2008 - 08:12 AM ]


BRUSSELS, (PIC)-- The European campaign to lift the siege on Gaza has condemned the Israeli obstruction of the Libyan ship and preventing it from reaching the Gaza Strip to unload its shipment of relief material.


Amin Abu Rashed, one of the founding members of the campaign and the secretary general of the Palestinian forum in Holland, said in a statement on Monday that the Libyan authorities should insist on offloading its shipment in Gaza harbor.

He underlined that Israel was keen not to let a precedent be recorded and to be followed by other Arab countries, especially when other Arab vessels were planning similar sea trips to the beleaguered Strip.

Blocking the ship from reaching Gaza was another form of pressure on the Palestinian people to double their suffering and force them to surrender and give up their democratic choice, Abu Rashed explained.

He asked the UN, which repeatedly warned of the serious humanitarian conditions in the Strip, to immediately intervene and press Israel into allowing the Libyan ship to reach Gaza.

Abu Rashed also denounced the Egyptian authorities for retaining the Rafah border crossing with Gaza closed, adding that as soon as the crossing is opened and Arab assistance allowed access then the siege would be as good as over.