From Libyan Organizer Gaddaffi international charity and developement foundation
AL-AMAL AID SHIP ARRIVES IN GAZA ON WEDNESDAY
Monday, 12 July 2010 14:54
While Al-Amal aid ship is continuing its journey towards the port of Gaza, the team on board of the vessel reported that the journey is going normal so far, and that the Ship was able to continue sailing in appropriate circumstances. Until the present moment, time of the release of this news clip, the vessel is located about100 kilometers off the shores of theGreek island of Crete, sailing in international waters on its route to Gaza. The Foundation’s team on board of the vessel confirmed that the morale is high; that they are getting ready to reach Gaza on Wednesday; and that they are in good health. The group has also re- emphasized the humanitarian and peaceful nature of the goals of this aid ship, and that it is not intended to arouse excitement or cause provocation. AL-AMAL DEPARTS CRETE Monday, 12 July 2010 12:42 Al-Amal Ship is still sailing towards to Gaza laden with food supplies; and according to information received from on board the ship; she has now entered the international waters off the Greek island of Crete and continues its passage with a steady pace. The team on board of Al-Amal aid ship reported that the journey is taking place in a normal atmosphere so far, and that the ship is expected to arrive to Gaza in the fixed time approximately. While the ship is keeping up its humanitarian mission to Gaza, the team on board the vessel confirmed that this task is of a humanitarian and purely peaceful nature, and that there are no provocative intents whatsoever. Libyan ship 'will continue to Gaza' UPDATED ON: SUNDAY, JULY 11, 2010 13:25 MECCA TIME, 10:25 GMT Organisers of a Libya-sponsored aid ship have said they will continue their attempt to break the naval blockade of the Gaza Strip, despite Israeli claims that the vessel would instead sail to Egypt. Yousseuf Sawani, a director of the Gaddafi International Charity and Development Foundation, told Al Jazeera that there were no plans for the Al-Amal to dock at the port El-Arish. "This is definitely a part of the campaign against the ship, a campaign of distortion, but we are definitely heading towards Gaza, because that is where aid should be heading to," he told Al Jazeera. "This is a purely humane mission, it is neither provocative nor hostile," he said. The ship set sail from Greece on Saturday, carrying 2,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip, but the Israeli foreign ministry said that it had reached an agreement with Greece and Moldova to have the ship diverted to Egypt. Israeli request Israeli authorities also reportedly contacted Omar Suleiman, the Egyptian intelligence chief, to request that the ship be allowed to dock in El-Arish, close to the border with the Gaza Strip. But Hossam Zaki, a spokesman for the Egyptian foreign ministry, said that he was not expecting the ship to travel to the Egyptian port. "This ship is not headed Egypt. We did not get any official request from the Libyan side for the ship to dock in Egypt," he said. "Its not about the Israelis' request. Its up to the will of the organisers of the ship. "They said they are heading to Gaza, they did not approach us. The situation as far we are concerned is a ship heading to Gaza." The boat was chartered by a charity headed by the son of Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan leader, and is carrying "a number of supporters who are keen on expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people in the plight amidst the siege imposed on Gaza". 'Very serious consequences' The 92-metre ship, renamed Al-Amal which means "Hope" in Arabic, has a 12-man crew and is carrying at least nine passengers, a representative of Piraeus-based agents Alpha Shipping said. The passengers were made up of six Libyans, a Moroccan, a Nigerian and an Algerian.
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