14/07/2010 Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh on Wednesday urged the activists aboard a Libyan-sponsored aid ship not to let their cargo ship be diverted from Gaza's shore and called in a speech for more pro-Palestinian "freedom flotillas."
"The sea and land convoys must continue. We hope we can depend on Islamic nations to help us lift the blockade," Haniyeh said, referring to the three-year inhumane siege imposed on the Gaza Strip by the Israeli enemy.
The Libyan-chartered ship carrying humanitarian aid for Palestinians in the blockaded Gaza Strip reportedly began sailing toward Egypt's port of El Arish, after Israeli navy forces had warned it to steer clear of Gaza.
Libya-Sponsored Gaza Aid Ship Heads to Egypt Port
Israeli Radio reported Wednesday that Jewish Austrian businessman Martin Schlaff had been mediating between Israel and the charity chaired by Saif al-Islam Gadhafi- son of Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi-, which sponsored the aid ship, in an effort to prevent the vessel from steering toward Gaza.
Officials in el-Arish said they had received instructions to prepare the port to receive the ship, the Amalthea, which was located just under 60 kilometers north- west of the Egyptian port, and sailing at a speed of 7.5 knots (approximately 8.6 km/h).
Israeli naval vessels were shadowing and monitoring the Amalthea which had been immobile for much of the night due to engine trouble. "We are not surrounding; we are following," an Israeli military spokeswoman in Tel Aviv said.
An al-Jazeera correspondent on board the ship said two of the Israeli ships were on the port side of the vessel, to prevent it changing direction and sailing for Gaza.
The military spokeswoman said the Amalthea's Cuban captain had promised the Israeli Navy he would not continue to Gaza and instead sail to el-Arish, but the Israeli military was not taking any risks and would continue to monitor the vessel.
Egypt said late on Tuesday that the Amalthea had asked to dock in its nearby El Arish port, while mission organizers insisted the ship would hold course to Gaza.
Earlier, an Israeli spokeswoman had said that the Israeli occupation army had been keeping watch of the Lybia-sponsored ship, saying it was "88 km from Egypt and 128 km from Gaza in international waters. We are observing," the spokeswoman said, adding the ship was stationary.
Asked on Israel Radio earlier if the ship's location in international waters might deter the navy from mounting an interception, Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said: "I don't want to get into matters linked to operational details ... but certainly that's a consideration.
The station also aired what it said was a recording of the ship's Cuban captain, Antonio, informing navy negotiators by radio that his engineers were trying to fix mechanical problems. "I cannot tell you how much time it will take. As soon as we are ready, I'll tell you, over," he is heard saying in English.
The charity which chartered the Amalthea said on Tuesday it would sail to Gaza with its declared cargo of 2,000 tons of food and medicine. Charity director Youssef Sawani rejected accounts of the ship's El Arish destination as a ruse.
The confusion over where and when the Amalthea would dock prompted an Israeli official to suggest there was disagreement between the hired crew of 12 and some 10 pro-Palestinian activists aboard determined to defy the Gaza blockade.
Israel Radio aired what sounded like the navy warning the captain that he would be held responsible for any showdown at sea and legal ramifications. Other aid ships have been impounded in Israel, with some of their cargo eventually trucked to Gaza.
"You are in charge of the people on the ship, and any attempt to enter the area will be your fault only," a voice that the radio identified as a navy negotiator is heard saying.
The Amalthea set sail from Greece on Saturday on a voyage that would ordinarily see it reach Gaza by Wednesday. Rerouting to El Arish would still require the ship to skirt Gaza.
Al-Jazeera satellite channel, which has a correspondent aboard the ship, said four Israeli warships were in pursuit.
Outcry at the bloodshed aboard the Turkish-flagged Mavi Marmara prompted Israel to ease overland trade with Gaza, but it kept the sea blockade. "Both we and the Egyptians have a very great interest in ensuring that the Gaza Strip and Hamas do not stockpile weaponry and gain strength," Ayalon said. Unlike Libya, Egypt has full diplomatic relations with Israel.
On June 5, the Israeli navy commandeered the Irish-owned aid ship Rachel Corrie after it refused orders to turn back or dock in the Zionist entity for its cargo to be vetted for overland transfer to Gaza.
An Israeli inquiry by a military panel under a retired general into the navy's killing of the Turkish activists concluded on Monday there had been faults in planning the high seas interception but that lethal force was warranted.
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