Organizers: All-woman Lebanese aid ship to set sail for Gaza Sunday
Women instructed to carry blood type info in case 'they need blood transfusions in the event of being attacked by Israeli forces.'
By News Agencies and Haaretz Service Tags: Gaza flotilla Gaza Gaza blockade LebanonThe organizers of a Lebanese ship aiming to break Israel's Gaza blockade said Thursday that they plan to set sail from Lebanon on Sunday.
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Lebanese Gaza-bound aid ship 'Julia' awaiting green light to set sail. |
| Photo by: AP |
Samar al-Hajj says the ship, the Mariam, named after the Virgin Mary, will be carrying medicine for the seaside strip. Al-Hajj said all the passengers will be women activists.
Lebanon and Israel are technically at war and Israeli officials have warned Beirut not to allow the boat to sail.
Al-Hajj said Lebanon's president, prime minister and parliament speaker refused to meet with her, which appeared to signal the government's lack of support for the venture.
In May, the Israeli Defense Forces forcibly intercepted a flotilla of Gaza-bound aid ships. On one of the ships, violent clashes broke out and nine Turkish activists were killed.
Al-Hajj said the ship would first head for Cyprus, although it was unclear if the Cypriot authorities will grant permission for it to continue on to Gaza.
"All on board were instructed to carry details of their blood groups in case they need blood transfusions in the event of being attacked by Israeli forces," she said.
"There are nuns, doctors, lawyers, journalists, Christian and Muslim women on board," said Hajj. The group includes Lebanese singer May Hariri and a group of nuns from the United States, she added.
Earlier Thursday, Channel 10 quoted Palestinian media as saying that an aid ship bound for the Gaza Strip had departed Algeria.
According to the Palestinian paper "Palestine Today", the ship, sponsored by the Algerian government, departed with religious leaders and political officials on board along with supplies of food, medicine, and educational materials.
The ship was organized by religious leaders and businessmen to "express solidarity with the Palestinian people," the report said.
In July, a Libyan-sponsored aid ship attempted to reach Gaza but diverted to the Egyptian port of El Arish, where its cargo was unloaded and delivered to Gaza by land.
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Israel should take the opportunity to point out the hypocrisy of this Lebanese flotilla. The Lebanese women are lining up to stand up for Palestinians in Gaza while in Lebanon there are *half a million Palestinians* who are treated as less than second class. Unlike any other foreign national they are forbidden to become citizens, they are essentially forbidden to work and basically considered as illegal immigrants. They have no rights; voting, work, or travel. They are political prisoners with no hope or prospect. These "demonstrators" claim they "feel for the plight” of the Palestinians in Gaza. Well what are they doing to help alleviate the plight of the half a million Palestinians who for the past 60+ years have no rights in their own country, Lebanon? The flotilla is certainly not humanitarian motivated; this is solely a political attack against Israel. The hypocritical Lebanese could care less about Palestinians; whether they happen to live in Gaza or Lebanon.
And not one of you people in here commented on the fact that the ship is all women and from all faiths and has nothing to do with Hizballah..
these chrsitians taking part in this project are unaware how muslims are exploiting them as christian to fulfill this.... you are helping HAMAS which is anti christian...
Zionists exploit Jews and Judaism.
There are plenty of Arab Christians. Including Palestinian Christians. The woman leading this operation, Samar al-Hajj, is a Christian.
Politically Israel is suffering -- there's internal and external combustion these days. There is the case of 9 civilians killed, which of course, is a "deterrent". Their personal belongings probably won't be stolen either this time around, but one can never be too sure. But ironically Palestinians can be hopeful as long as this coalition government is in administration.
the million of fellow Muslims there?
Everybody seems to forget the famous flotilla was made up of 6 ships and commandos boarded all 5 ships and on the other 5 there was no violence. The passengers let the Israeli commandos armed with their paintball guns take control of the ships and divert them to Israel to be searched. Only on the Mavi Marmara were the soldiers lynched which resulted in people getting killed. If this ship coming from Lebanon peacefully allow the IDF to board the ship if they chose and divert it peacefully then nobody will get hurt, the cargo will be inspected and transported to Gaza overland. Once it gets to Gaza of course it will end up in the hands of Hamas and be either kept or sold on the black market rather than actually be given free of charge to the people it was for but as there are no Israeli soldiers in Gaza to enforce the law there isn't much we can do about that.
The last time the IDF was trying to enforce their law in Gaza, more than 300 kids were killed.
Were you on the ship to witness what actually happened? Why is Israel obviously afraid of allowing an independent international investigation of this whole affair? Why were cameras, etc. confiscated by the Israeli soldiers.
the definition of lynching is a mob killing people by hanging..... now tell me how many IDF soldiers were killed in this incident ? I can only recall 9 dead activists , shot to death by the IDF.
the video showed me enough !!!
to know that the title of 'kid' or 'child' is very suspect. Do you know if these kids were innocent? If they were civilians? If they were 18 yr. old fighters whose age was understated to make them minors? If they actively chose to be were they were to act as shields?
mosques in order to maximise the involuntarily martyrdom of the children so dispicably placed in the way of harm by Hamas. And your number is plucked from the air. Dead fighters were counted by Hamas as "dead kids" in the statistics.
confiscating cameras at the scene of an attack is what armies do. Give them back to be destroyed by the IHH terrorists, when it could and was used to Israel's benefit? Not a chance!
As we've seen, these terrorists were ready with their metal bars and their released Martyr recordings, warmed up by Islamic preaches few hours before the encounter. Like it or not, there is a weapons embargo on the Gaza strip to help filter missiles that continue to hit surrounding cities and terrorize the population. If you do believe there's an actual 'humanitarian crisis' in Gaza where there's not enough model clothes in their new mall, then feel free to unload your past-date potatoes in an Israeli port city and after an inspection there are no weapons, it will be delivered assuming Hamas accepts it). If you enter a military zone actions will be taken, if you threaten to do so in large numbers, a pre-emptive action (like the last one) will also be taken, under international law. You may be surprised but int' law covers a blockade and thus it is legal just like many other blockades in the history of mankind, including the blockade on Cuba and similar blockades initiated by Britain in the past.
If in the end, did 100% of the aid get to delivered to Gaza, why did Israel feel so compelled to storm the boats? And of course, a more pending question, why, if you think israel behaved so well, did Israel steal all the video of the incident?
Stop building walls, stop humiliating Palestinians, treat them as you want to be treated, and you will be amazed at the change in attitude on the part of Palestinians toward you!
stop terror how about that for starters
The Jihadists refuse to countenance Jews having their own country. That's all there is to it. Their maps show no Israel. Not no walls.
check out an excellent BBC coverage at youtube, "Panorama - What happened on the Flotilla to Gaza " Apparently throwing items, including rocks and, chairs, and shooting water at boats is considered passive resistance these days. Well in that case, some soldiers may just passively pull the trigger when they are pulled down from ropes passively, putting a bullet in their heads. Passively, of course.
http://uprootedpalestinians.blogspot.com/2010/08/beautiful-gift-from-bbc-by-ken-okeefe.html He's quoted/misquoted in the program. You can't have it both ways BBC
No most muslims are hypocrite about this !! Gaza is political
They need constant flow of pretext for their propaganda war.
trying to deflect attention from witches in Isfahan brewing nuclear poison .
This ship will for sure not be carrying any weaponry. Therefore the IDF should have no problem to divert it to an IDF chosen port of debarcation.... after all the major point of the mission is to get these supplies to "starving ?????" Gazans....no matter route it gets there ?
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the fact that there is no restrictions on medications and the arabs being admitted into Israeli hospitals for any needed treatment, shouldn't the boat deliver its contents to israeli hospitals to assist? or as we all know, when it comes to humanitarian efforts they have no interest in also helping Jews.
Israel is receiving help from the United States to the tune of $3 billion yearly! Many Americans, including Jews, are absolutely opposed to this! So watch out, Israel!
Than the Libyan ship. Samar al-Hajj, a Christian, is a lawyer and the wife of a former senior security official who has been implicated in the Hariri assassination. The chances of violent resistance are slim, but the probability they intend to force a violent response by Israel is fairly high. Time for the government of Israel to think for a change.
Never think?
if we were talking about armed forces with any sense of discipline the answer would be 'behave decently and professionally'. Unfortunately this rabble will behave as arrogantly as we have come to expect of them meaning theft, murder, cover-up.
Except for the Mavi Mamara, I haven't heard of one incident. That was caused by a terrorist group seeking provocation, trying to break east and west ties. Why do these women worry about being attacked when none of the other ships had problems. Lebanon is suffering, suffering for centuries. There are still friends of Israel among the Lebanese; certainly because they have suffered and are still suffering for la liberte.
If you read the accounts from the other ships, they were still beaten, spit on, tazered, and forced to sit for hours in plastic cuffs. Let's not fool ourselves that just because no one was shot to death the IDF was not being brutal.
Nothing ( i think this is your name, or maybe you just nothing as the person- big 0) . There is no proof to the lies you spreading. One could say anything you want, it doesn't makes it to be a truth. Like the statement: "The person with no name is acomplete morron!" Is this afact or just my speculation?
people with extreme political motives...hmm, might their accounts be a little suspect?
if the do are hurt they obviously think create a problem whereby the IDF will be called in. It appears this is what they intend to do. The carry there own bllod type -they will not be given the correct blood type. I carry my blood type because I gave blood to help others & ever I need blood quickly it is written but qiven time a hospital will check this for correctness - and they should! I am amazed they are not bringing there own blood so not to leave it to chance to receive Jewish blood as the Pope does. Their actions spread hate. Stay at home and let diplomacy here work out peace instead of interfering and stop doing things to cause trouble. Hamas does not want what cargo they are delivering unless it weapons. Stay at home!
If Israel has a good conscience, there should be nothing wrong with delivering needed goods and we do know that the goods are needed, don't fool yourselves in Israel!
The Israeli navy should prevent this ship from reaching Gaza, since rmost goods are no longer barred from entering the Strip. Weapons are, and this needs to be checked. However, Israel should not mess it up again.
Good luck, I wish every success to this initiative
Lebanon just hung some people for spying for Israel. I cried when I read a post from a Christian Lebanese that said he would die fighting with the Israelis, at a time when it seems we have few friends and supporters. Lebanon wanted this ship to go to Cyprus because the PM said Lebanon is at war with Israel. Why won't these ladies listen and go to Cyrpus or help the Palestinians in Lebanon, who are worse off?
and you want the Palestinians of Gaza die of hunger? People with human feelings do not agree with you. Enough is enough!
Because of the conflict between the different groups, including Irish Catholic, Blacks, etc. Plurality doesn't necessarily make good bedfellows. Candidates today know they have to reconcile and get along with other people to get elected. The old days are over Tony, and one prejudiced group will not prevail over another and get elected. Our present Mayor Daley knows that, and is different from his daddy; he knows he has to appeal to everyone. Times change.
they are building malls and theme parks, maybe not like tivoli aor disney but still. also the ladies are smoking water pipes. sounds like a good life in gaza.
You're right, because the IDF will steal them as they did to the first Gaza Flotilla.