30/05/2010 A convoy of ships containing pro-Palestinian activists and aid determined to break the siege of the Gaza Strip on Sunday steamed south from Cyprus towards Israeli naval vessels determined to stop them.
The five ships, carrying more than 700 passengers, are on the last leg of a high-profile mission to deliver tons of aid to Gaza, which has been subjected to a crippling Israeli blockade since 2007. According to one of the passengers, Audrey Bomse, the fleet is expected to reach Gaza territorial waters at 4:00pm (1300 GMT) Sunday.
In Gaza City, dozens of Palestinian fishing boats were preparing to set sail to meet the flotilla, which is carrying hundreds of civilians including European MPs.
Bomse told AFP that the two vessels which had been due to join the "Freedom Flotilla" had not been able to set sail after sustaining damage over the weekend, in a move which the convoy's organizers claimed was "sabotage."
"Now we are thinking of sending a second wave of boats including these two and the Rachel Corrie, which is still en route" from Ireland, she said, adding that the second convoy would probably set off around Tuesday.
"We're going to see how the others get on -- either they will reach Gaza or Israel will stop them and there will be a confrontation," Bomse said.
The flotilla of cargo and passenger ships, which is carrying 10,000 tons of aid for Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip, had been due to reach Gaza on Saturday. But its departure was delayed because of technical problems affecting two of the vessels.
Israel has slammed as "illegal" the convoy's attempt to break its blockade on Gaza, and has naval forces at the ready to intercept the ships and detain the activists on board.
Speaking to Yedoth Aharonoth, Greta Berlin, of the Free Gaza Movement, said that all satellite phones on board had stopped working around 2 am, adding that it was an external block placed on the lines.
The Israeli occupation army had earlier announced it planned to disrupt the boats' communications as part of Israel's efforts to prevent the activists on board from speaking to the press. Berlin said they had other means of communication on board, but refused to elaborate.
River to Sea
Uprooted Palestinian
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