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Last update - 07:46 04/12/2008
Libya accuses Israel of piracy for blocking Gaza aid ship
By Reuters
Tags: Palestinian, Israel news 

Libya accused Israel of piracy at a meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday for preventing a Libyan ship from delivering humanitarian supplies to the Gaza Strip.

The Libyan boat, Al-Marwa, turned back in the face of an Israeli naval blockade on Monday. Libyan and Palestinian officials said it was carrying 3,000 tons of food, medicine and other aid to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.

Libyan UN Ambassador Giadallah Ettalhi told the 15-nation council that the Israeli action was "an act of piracy" as defined by the UN convention on law of the sea.
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He asked the council "to take the necessary urgent actions to allow the ... ship to enter the port and unload its cargo." He added that Libya would allow the United Nations or other organizations to confirm that its cargo was purely humanitarian.

Ettalhi said he hoped the council would agree to issue a statement condemning the Israeli move, which would require the backing of all 15 council members. The council took no immediate action on the Libyan draft statement.

Israel's UN Ambassador Gabriela Shalev defended her country's decision not to let the Libyan ship reach Gaza and said it was unfortunate that the council had been "outrageously compelled" by Libya to discuss the incident.

"No member state of this council, nor any other member of the United Nations, would allow a shipment originating from a hostile state to reach a territory that serves as a launching pad for terrorist attacks against its civilians," she said.

She added that if Libya, which has no diplomatic relations with Israel, had wanted to get humanitarian aid to the Palestinians in Gaza, it could have been delivered by one of the international aid organizations active there.

Imposed to generate political pressure on Islamist Hamas, the blockade has been stepped up in recent weeks amid a surge in border clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants.

The Palestinian observer to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, praised Libya's attempt to deliver aid to Gaza's 1.5 million people, most of whom rely on aid. He expressed regret that it was not allowed to reach Gaza.

Mansour told the council it was "imperative that Israel be compelled ... to lift its siege of the Gaza Strip."

U.S. envoy Alejandro Wolff rejected the Libyan suggestion that Israel had been guilty of piracy as "absurd." He said piracy was defined as an act committed by private persons for private gain, not by the navy of a sovereign country.

He said Libya's decision to send a ship directly to Gaza was "dangerous and irresponsible" and that "provocation and perhaps even propaganda" appeared to be Tripoli's objective.

Other council envoys voiced concern about the humanitarian situation in Gaza and urged Israel to lift the blockade.

Related articles:
  • Israel turns back Libyan ship bound for Gaza with aid
  • Israeli Arab leaders vow to sail to Gaza to break blockade
  • First U.S. ambassador to Libya in three decades to arrive in December
  • Libyan UN envoy: Gaza situation worse than Nazi camps
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      1.   Libya`s Lucky The Somali Pirates Don`t Operate That Far North 05:45  |  Lavi 04/12/08
      2.   The Blockade 06:00  |  Jasper 04/12/08
      3.   Not valid 06:29  |  Mark Lincoln 04/12/08
      4.   3,000 TONS of food and medicine 06:45  |  Naftali Lavie 04/12/08
      5.   A Libyan ship would be an act of war 07:27  |  Steve from Raleigh 04/12/08
      6.   Fed UP 07:37  |  Jordanian American 04/12/08
      7.   If international clown Qhaddafi wanted goods to go through. 08:08  |  PETER SM 04/12/08
      8.   To Mark Lincoln 08:30  |  Mikesailor 04/12/08
      9.   Supplies are much needed in Libya 30% unemployment 08:31  |  Genuine Tosefta 04/12/08
      10.   To Lark Mincoln 08:44  |  PopeyeTheSailorMan 04/12/08
      11.   Steve from Raleigh, Gaza is NOT Israel`s... 08:50  |  BBSNews 04/12/08
      12.   to Jordanian American 09:40  |  Harry 04/12/08
      13.   To Mikesailor 10:02  |  Angel 04/12/08
      14.   #3, Mark Lincoln - Not True 10:46  |  Fritz 04/12/08
      15.   The real Lybian objective 11:05  |  El_Justiciero 04/12/08
      16.   BBS Lybia is still a hostile entity & Gaza is under wartime siege 11:33  |  PETER SM 04/12/08
      17.   FRITZ Does convention say anytime anyhow anyplace? 11:39  |  PETER SM 04/12/08
      18.   Fritz - Gaza is not high contracting power 11:45  |  17 04/12/08
      19.   #5 - ISRAELI waters??????? 13:50  |  Ahmed 04/12/08
      20.   Re: Israeli Waters 16:22  |  Angel 04/12/08
      21.   Re: Fed Up 17:17  |  Angel 04/12/08
      22.   Ahmed # 19 Nobody`s Waters Actually 17:20  |  Jeff Northridge 04/12/08
      23.   Nice Try, Khadafi! 17:46  |  Jeff Northridge 04/12/08
      24.   A terrorist nation accuses us of piracy 18:06  |  Gee 04/12/08
      25.   To Jeff Northridge 18:23  |  Angel 04/12/08
      26.   #11 BS 06:34  |  Moshe 05/12/08
      27.   To #4 Lavie 12:04  |  Jerusalem Jew 06/12/08
      28.   The irony of Libya accusing someone of piracy 16:14  |  Magnus K. 06/12/08
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