The Free Gaza boats will be departing the Gaza Strip on Thursday morning at 9 A.M carrying 12-14 Palestinians who were denied exit visas by the Israeli Authorities , others are students with valid visas or dual citizenships and were accepted un universities in Europe. One of departing is a Palestinian professor who teaches in Europe and was stuck in Gaza.

This is a press release by the Free Gaza movement;

(GAZA CITY, 27 August 2008) - It was standing-room-only in Gaza City studios today as the Free Gaza Movement held a press conference to announce the departure of the Free Gaza and Liberty, and to reaffirm that 12-14 Palestinians who have previously been denied exit visas by Israel will be traveling to Cyprus on the two boats. Some of those leaving are students, with valid visas or dual citizenship, who have been accepted to universities abroad. Additionally, one Palestinian professor will finally be able to go back to teaching in Europe, and one young, Palestinian woman will finally be reunited with her husband.

Since the organizers of the Free Gaza Movement will not be entering Israeli territorial waters, and since they will request inspection from both the Gaza Port Authority before they depart as well as from Cypriot authorities when they arrive in Cyprus, they expect no interference on the part of the Israeli authorities when they leave Gaza. By Israel’s own admission, it has no authority to inspect the boats or the passengers when they leave Gaza.

With the collapse of the Israeli blockade, the Free Gaza Movement will quickly return to Gaza with another delegation, and invites the United Nations, Arab League and international community to organize similar human rights and humanitarian efforts.

The Free Gaza and Liberty arrived in Gaza early Saturday evening despite threats that the Israeli government would use force to prevent the nonviolent human rights workers from reaching Gaza. Since arriving, both boats have accompanied Palestinian fishermen out to sea in order to prevent Israeli warships from firing on the Palestinians as they fish, as has happened regularly in the past. Several of the Free Gaza international human rights workers will remain in Gaza after their boats leave in order to do human rights monitoring.

Dr. Vaggelis Pissias, one of the organizers of the Free Gaza Movement, stated that: “We do not accept that Israel can stop these boats. Palestinians have the same rights as all other peoples. Why is it that the only people in the Mediterranean without access to their own waters are the Palestinians?”

For More Information, Please Contact: (Gaza) Paul Larudee: +972 598 765 370 (Cyprus) Osama Qashoo: +357 97 793 595 / osamaqashoo@gmail.com (Jerusalem) Angela Godfrey-Goldstein: +972 547 366 393 / angela@icahd.org

Thousands of Palestinians welcome the two boats, SS Liberty and Gaza Free which arrived at the Gaza port Saturday evening coming from Cyprus to break the siege on the Gaza Strip.

This is a report from IMEMC 's correspondant in the Gaza Strip Rami Al-Meghari about the arrival of the boats and the popular welcoming by Palestinian.

Click on the link below to listen to or download the report in MP3 Format || 9m 15s || 8.46 MB

Click here to listen to or download the report in MP3 Format || 9m 15s || 8.46 MB

The SS Free Gaza and SS Liberty boats sailing from Cyprus reported that their electronic safety systems came under electronic attack causing them to jam.

Below is an communiqué released by the Free Gaza Movement, the organizer of the boats’ trip.

At 10am this morning, the Cyprus team of the Free Gaza Movement was able to briefly speak with our people on board the SS Free Gaza and SS Liberty. They are all fine, and they asked us to release the following statement:

"The electronic systems which guarantee our safety aboard the SS Free Gaza and SS Liberty have been jammed and scrambled. Both ships are flying Greek flags, and are in international waters. We are the victims of electronic piracy. We are currently in GMS P area A2 and we are relying on our satellite communications equipment to make a distress call, if needed.

We are civilians from 17 nations and are on this project to break the siege of Gaza. We are not experienced sailors. As a result, there is concern about the health and safety of the people on board such an emergency develop.

We are currently experiencing rough sea conditions, and we call on the Greek government and the international community to meet their responsibilities and protect the civilians on board our two ships in international waters."

The two boats are carrying peace activists on their way to the Gaza Strip to defy the siege, Israel imposed on the Gaza Strip for over one year, which caused a devastating damage to the social, economic and political life the coastal region. At least 240 Palestinian patients died as they were unable to received the needed medical treatment in the Gaza Strip and were unable to travel outside Gaza for medication.

Despite Israeli objections and attempts to intervene, Cyprian authorities have given the go-ahead for two boats filled with humanitarian supplies and 60 international activists to set sail tomorrow for the Gaza Strip.  The boats took off at midnight Thursday morning.

The 'Free Gaza' movement has been collecting money and supplies since last year to allow the unprecedented blockade-breaking trip to move forward. As the sixty activists gathered in Cyprus two weeks ago, the Israeli government issued statements indicating that the Israeli navy would shoot the boats if they tried to bring the humanitarian aid to Gaza.

 

In addition, activists on the boat have reported receiving death threats for their work. Palestinian activist Osama Qashoo, who now lives in London, told Agence France Presse on Wednesday that over the last two weeks, he has received around twenty death threats on his phone, some of which have been traced to Israeli cell phones. He said his family in Qalqilia, in the West Bank, has also received death threats.

 

The aim of the group is to bring much-needed medicine, medical supplies and food to the civilian population of Gaza, which has been suffering under an Israeli-imposed siege for over a year.

 

Now, the boats are setting sail from Cyprus for the 30-hour trip to Gaza. Tom Nelson, the Portland, Oregon-based lawyer for the group, says they are simply trying to expose the truth about Israel's targeting of civilians in Gaza. Israel has cited 'security concerns' in its announced plan to shoot the boats as they approach the Gaza shore.

In the upcoming days, Gaza will welcome a group of international activists who are set to sail from Cyprus to Gaza. The internationals have come from various countries worldwide to break the siege of Gaza and send out a message of solidarity with its people who have suffered under a debilitating Israeli blockade for the past 14 months .

The Israeli occupation authorities have recently threatened to forcefully prevent the Free Gaza Boat from arriving at Gaza shores. IMEMC's Rami Almeghari conducted the following exclusive interview with Greta Berlin, media team of the Free Gaza Boat.

What was the motive behind sailing to Gaza?

We want to break the siege of Gaza. We want to raise international awareness about Gaza's outdoor prison and pressure the international community to review its sanctions policy and end its support for continued Israeli occupation. We want to uphold Palestine's right to welcome internationals as visitors and human rights observers.

How many international activists are sailing to Gaza and what they represent?

There are 40 people sailing, the oldest is 84 and the youngest is 22. We come from 17 countries, and we all represent people who are appalled at the treatment of 1.5 million Palestinians.

Do you expect arrival at the shores of the besieged coastal territory, or there are any obstacles?.

Apparently, the Israeli navy and the Israeli government say they will forcefully stop us. We will do our best to continue to sail toward Gaza despite the illegal stopping of the Palestinians' right to ask us to come by Israel.

Are you bringing any supplies to the people of Gaza?

This is a human rights mission and not a humanitarian mission. The people of Gaza need to have their human and civil rights back. They are capable of taking care of themselves, feeding themselves and being productive if the Israeli military would let them have their human rights, rights guaranteed by International Law.

We are bringing 200 hearing aids for the children who are losing their hearing because of Israel's constant sound bombs and sonic booms.

What a message you intend to send through this initiative ?

We hope to bring the message of hope. The message that the world has not forgotten these 1.5 million people surrounded by 10 meter walls, imprisoned and tortured by their prison guards.

We want to tell the international community that they cannot turn away as Israel commits slow-motion genocide on a civilian population. We want to let the world know that one of the reasons Israel is committing these crimes is because they are trying to steal the natural gas that lies off the coast of Gaza, just as they have stolen the land, water and trees of the Palestinians in the past.

Media sources reported that Israel will prevent your access to Gaza, how do you view this and what actions you might be doing in case you are prevented?.

We are bringing the media with us to bear witness. We will do our best to resist nonviolently. We will let the world know that 40 human rights workers can make a difference.

Related article: http://www.imemc.org/article/56592