Amalthea:Ship to Gaza set sail to … Egypt tagged: , , , ,

Amalthea:Ship to Gaza set sail to … Egypt

Posted by keeptalkinggreece in Ship to Gaza

The “Amalthea”,  a ship carrying aid for Gaza, has left Greece …. for Egypt under immense Israeli pressure.

The Moldovan-flagged cargo ship left Saturday  evening from the port of Lavrio, southeast of Athens. It carries some 2.000 tons of food and medical supplies.

The ship has been chartered by the Libyan “Gaddafi International Charity and Development Foundation”  headed by one of the sons of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

The Amalthea was originally planned to head directly to Gaza to defy the Israeli’s blockade. But Israel set under immense pressure on Greece and Moldavia with the result that Greek authorities gave the green light to Amalthea to dock at El-Arish port in Egypt.

13 Volunteers from Libya, one from  Nigeria and one from  Morocco. The ship crew is from Cuba, Haiti, India, and Syria.

The charity organisation insists that the aim remains to unload the supplies in Gaza and that  the ship would not seek confrontation with the Israelis.

The Amalthea is expected to reach its destination in Egypt early Wednesday.

Mavi Marmara – a Hotel?

Ship to Gaza sails into the Cyprus issue http://www.keeptalkinggreece.com/2010/06/01/israel-to-deport-flotilla-activists-starting-tonight/

The Amalthea’s aid to Gaze comes a month after Israeli troops boarded Turkish vessel Mavi Marmara killing 9 Turkish volunteers, injuring many and sparking an international outcry.

Mavi Marmara was part of a flotilla of several vessels trying to break Israel’s blockade and deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Meanwhile Israeli media report that  the Mayor of Haifa, Yonah Yahav, wants to turn Mavi Marmara into a ‘floating hotel’ so it can become a “symbol of reconciliation and hope”.

Turkey insists on demanding Israel to apologize over the Mavi Marmara assault.