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Last update - 18:22 15/01/2009
Israel Navy ships turn back boat carrying Gaza humanitarian aid
By The Associated Press
Tags: israel news, gaza, hamas 

Israel Navy ships forced a boat trying to deliver food and medical supplies to Gaza to return to Cyprus early Thursday.

Free Gaza group spokeswoman Mary Hughes-Thompson said Israeli naval vessels surrounded the 66-foot (20-meter) Greek-flagged boat off the coast of southern Lebanon and threatened to open fire if it did not turn back.

The Israel Defense Forces said navy ships warned the boat to turn back because it was entering a war zone subject to a naval blockade. The ship turned back without incident, the military said.
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Hughes-Thompson said the boat, carrying five tons of supplies and 21 passengers, including three surgeons, was expected to arrive at Larnaca port in Cyprus by Thursday evening.

It was the second failed bid by the U.S.-based group to try to reach Gaza
since Israel launched its assault on the Palestinian territory late last month in response to rocket fire on Israel.

One of the trip's organizers, Vangelis Pisias, said the Israeli navy had
threatened to open fire on the Greek-flagged boat Spirit of Humanity, which was carrying the activists.

"They told us that it was forbidden to go to our destination. We replied that we were carrying humanitarian supplies and continued on our course," Pisias told Greece's private Antenna television.

"About half an hour later, they returned with a threat, telling us they were obliged to stop the boat with all means possible... They said if we did not stop they would shoot."

In a statement, Free Gaza said the incident occurred in international waters and described the incident as shocking.

"At roughly 1:00 A.M. GMT, in international waters 100 miles off the coast of Gaza, at least five Israeli gunboats surrounded the Spirit of Humanity and began recklessly cutting in front of the slow-moving civilian craft," the statement said.

In Athens, the Greek Foreign Ministry said it had sent a strong protest to the Israeli Foreign Ministry that emphasized and asked for the Israeli authorities to pay particular attention to the protection of the lives and security of those on board the boat.

It said protests had also been sent the previous day to the Israeli foreign and defense ministries.
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  1.   The Bravest Navy in the World 18:46  |  Lee Kaplan 15/01/09
  2.   "a boat trying to deliver food and medicine" 18:59  |  Silvienne 15/01/09
  3.   why turn back ? 19:37  |  Robert 15/01/09
  4.   Yeah, yeah, humanitarian aid, Silvienne 19:39  |  Persian TARSIER 15/01/09
  5.   Food and Medicine? 19:40  |  Victor Williams 15/01/09
  6.   How naive are we supposed to be? 19:57  |  Avi 15/01/09
  7.   Phew!! Close call. 20:01  |  Matty Groves 15/01/09
  8.   "war zone subject to a naval blockade" 20:03  |  Chrisona 15/01/09
  9.   Now Listen to These Apologists! 20:06  |  Yaakov Sullivan 15/01/09
  10.   Based on the list of the indignated on this TB, I`d say IDF did 20:35  |  Father Emanuel 15/01/09
  11.   Silvienne et al - the first who would have screeched 22:51  |  ChanahS 15/01/09
  12.   PR debacle? 03:45  |  Brian 16/01/09
  13.   One Israeli weapons - starvation! 04:27  |  Maureen Ann 16/01/09
  14.   Strange Claim 05:20  |  Khan Md Ashraf 16/01/09
  15.   boat 09:37  |  colin 16/01/09
  16.   Naval Blockaid 20:58  |  Mike Grubman 16/01/09
  17.   NAVY TURNS BACK SHIP 20:22  |  HANA 07/02/09
  18.   SHIPS TURNED BACK 20:24  |  HANA 07/02/09
  19.   SHIP TURNED BACK 20:27  |  HANA 07/02/09
  20.   SHIP TURNED BACKH 20:28  |  HANA 07/02/09
  21.   Irans Weapon transporters 22:45  |  Sidney Sands 11/02/09
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