BREAKING NEWS: Israel Attacks Humanitarian Ship to Gaza in International Waters. Again.

[Magda Hassan]

BREAKING NEWS: Israel Attacks Humanitarian Ship to Gaza in International Waters

by Michel Chossudovsky

Global Research, May 16, 2011
GlobalResearch.ca

Montreal, 12.30 AM EST,
Global Research has been in contact with the Spirit of Rachel Corrie, a Malaysian ship carrying a humanitarian aid cargo to Gaza, which has been attacked in international waters by Israel.
The vessel left the Port of Piraeus, Greece on Wednesday, May 11 carrying 7.5 kilometers of UPVC (plastic) sewage pipes to help restore the devastated sewerage system in Gaza. The humanitarian initiative is sponsored by Perdana Global Peace Foundation (PGPF) and participating in this mission includes anti-war activists and journalists, consisting of 7 Malaysians, 2 Irish, 2 Indians and 1 Canadian.

The Spirit of Rachel Corrie is an initiative of The Perdana Global Peace Foundation (PGPF) chaired by Malaysia's former Prime minister Dr. Mahathir Mohamed. The Center for Research on Globalization (CRG) (Global Research) is also participating in this mission.

At 10.54 pm Eastern Time, the Spirit of Rachel Corrie was intercepted by an Israeli ship and a Egyptian ship in international waters.
10:54pm ET, Gaza 5:54am: We have been intercepted by Israeli ship and Egyptian ship. We are disobeying the orders and sailing ahead to Gaza.
10:57pm ET, Gaza 5:57am: One Israeli warship coming to us very fast! We are in international waters, therefore they have no right to attack us. We are still sailing ahead.
10:59pm ET, Gaza 5:59am: They are opening fire across our ship! We are still sailing ahead.
11:09pm ET, Gaza 6:09am: They are shooting all over the place. We can't continue ...
11:35pm ET, Gaza 6:35am: They circled our ship twice and fired across our ship. Machine guns. No one was injured. One of the fishing nets caught the propeller, so we can't move now.
11:37pm ET, Gaza 6:37am: The Israeli ship was coming from one end and the Egyptian ship was coming from another end. Firing. We are just stalled now. Everybody is okay. No one is injured.

In a subsequent communication from the boat, it would appear that Israel sought the collaboration of Egypt in the interception of the humanitarian mission to Gaza, involving prior coordination between the Israelis and the Egyptian navy.

We will be informing our readers as events unfold.

[Magda Hassan]

From Press TV. But they are calling the vessel the MV Finch. I don't know if that is/was the name of the Rachel Corrie as well.

Israel fires warning shots at aid ship
Mon May 16, 2011 5:41AM

A Gaza-bound aid ship (file photo)
Israeli naval forces have fired warning shots at a Malaysian aid ship headed to the Gaza Strip as it was approaching the shore.


The ship's Malaysian organizer said the Israeli forces made them withdraw to Egyptian waters, AFP reported Monday.

"The MV Finch, carrying sewage pipes to Gaza, had warning shots fired at it by Israeli forces in the Palestinian security zone this morning at 0654 Jordan time (0354 GMT)," said Shamsul Azhar, a member of the Perdana Global Peace Foundation.

"Currently the ship has been forced to anchor in Egyptian waters, 30 nautical miles from Gaza," he further explained.

The Free Gaza Movement, a coalition of human rights activists and pro-Palestinian groups, announced early April that a flotilla, comprising about 15 ships with activists from 25 countries on board, would set sail to Gaza in May on the first anniversary of the Israeli attack on a Gaza-bound Turkish ship.

The Israeli military attacked the Freedom Flotilla in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea on May 31, 2010, killing nine Turkish nationals aboard the Turkish-flagged MV Mavi Marmara, and injuring about 50 other people who were part of the team on the six-ship convoy.

Around 1.5 million people in the Gaza Strip are being denied their basic rights, including the freedom of movement, and the rights to appropriate living conditions, work, health and education.

HSN/HRF

[Albert Doyle]

Gaza is a crazy design for a state. Too small. Gaza is designed to perpetuate failure. It's the Pal's Warsaw Ghetto.


If they were serious about peace they (an international coalition) would create a realistic state for the Palestinians and force both sides to live in peace. Or they could allow right of return and figure out a negotiated peace between both religions.

[Ed Jewett]

BREAKING NEWS: Israel's Attack on Humanitarian Ship to Gaza.

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?c...&aid=24789

The Spirit of Rachel Corrie (officially known as FINCH) carrying a humanitarian cargo to Gaza was attacked by an Israeli naval patrol within the so-called Palestinian Security Zone on May 15, at 10.54pm EDT.