The Hindu : News / International : Five Israeli naval ships tracking Asian aid ship

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DUBAI, January 3, 2011

   Five Israeli naval vessels are tailing the ship carrying humanitarian supplies from Asia to the besieged residents of Gaza.

         Speaking via satellite phone, Shaheen Moidunny, who is on board the ship Salam, told The  Hindu that Israeli ships had been tracking the movements of their vessel for the last six hours. Radio contact had been established with the Israeli navy. “We are only one hour away from the Egyptian port of Al-Arish, where the ship would be docked,” Mr. Moidunny said. He clarified that there were no plans to take the ship to Gaza. “All the humanitarian supplies would be taken overland from Al-Arish to the Rafa crossing on the Egyptian Gaza border,” he said.

   

           Mr. Moidunny said only eight persons were on board the aid ship, while the rest of the activists, from several Asian countries had been flown into Egypt from Syria.

            According to the Egyptian website Ahram Online, the “Asia to Gaza Solidarity Caravan” had remained stuck for nearly a week at the Syrian port of Latakia, before Egyptian authorities granted it permission to enter Al-Arish port. Activists from more than 15 countries, the majority of whom are Indians ,but also include nationals from Iran, Japan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Malaysia, New Zealand and Kuwait are participating in this initiative

           The convoy, which set off from New Delhi on December 2, was scheduled to reach Gaza by December 27, a day ahead of the second anniversary of Israel's 22-day war on Gaza.

          Earlier, Egypt's Al-Ahram newspaper quoted Palestinian sources as saying that the Egyptian embassy in Damascus had issued visas to 120 activists, but had denied entry to another 46 hailing from Jordan and Iran. Some of the aid material, including 10 generators donated by Iran, were not allowed on the ship, and the size of the cargo was kept below 300 tonnes.

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The Hindu : News / International : Five Israeli naval ships tracking Asian aid ship

Asian aid convoy reaches Gaza Strip

An aid convoy carrying food and medical supplies for the besieged Palestinians, as part of an Asian aid mission, has arrived in the Gaza Strip.

The Asia to Gaza Solidarity Caravan, (Asia 1) entered the coastal strip through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt on Monday.

Some 105 human rights activists gathered at the crossing. Most of them flew to Egypt from Syria. And eight activists arrived at the Egyptian port of El Arish onboard a ship.

Egyptian authorities had prevented Iranian activists with the convoy from entering Egypt.

The convoy had travelled 7,000 kilometers, but was stuck in Latikia, in the northwest of Syria, for more than a week awaiting Egypt's permission.

The aid convoy started its journey in the Indian capital, New Delhi. It had passed through Iran, Turkey, Lebanon and Syria to reach Egypt and finally the Gaza Strip.

The activists say they want to display solidarity with the Palestinian people in their resistance against Israel.

Tel Aviv has been enforcing an all-out land, aerial and naval blockade on the 1.5 million Palestinians in the enclave since mid-June 2007.

The embargo persists while Gaza is far from recovering from the December 2008-January 2009 Israeli war that claimed the lives of over 1,400 Palestinians, inflicting a damage of above $1.6 billion on the enclave's economy.

http://previous.presstv.com/detail.aspx?id=158381&sectionid=351020202 

Iran President welcomes Asia to Gaza Solidarity Caravan

By TCN News,
New Delhi: The 17-nation Asia to Gaza Solidarity Caravan got warm welcome in Iran on December 13 when President Ahmadinejad came up to welcome the caravan. He also had dinner with the peace activists. The caravan began its journey on December 2 from Rajghat, the resting place of Mahatma Gandhi in Delhi.
Set out under the leadership of eminent rights activist Feroz Mithiborewala of Awami Bharat, the caravan consists of dozens of human and civil rights groups, mostly from India including Palestine Solidarity Movement and Students Islamic Organisation of India.


Iran President Ahmadinejad (2nd from right in front row), Gauhar Iqbal of Palestine Solidarity Movement (1st from left in front row), and others in Iran on December 13
Addressing the Asian People’s Solidarity for Palestine convoy, which is traveling through Iran before heading to Turkey, President Ahmadinejad said in Tehran on Monday that “Palestine is the mirror of today's humanity and the past history of mankind.”
“The issue of Palestine and efforts to alleviate the sufferings of the Palestinian people is a humanitarian issue, and the responsibility of all nations, all colors, all races, all ethnic origins and all religions should hand-in-hand enter into a collective effort to solve this greatest problem of humanity today,” the President said.


Shaheen KM, Central Advisory Council Member of SIO, at Wagah border
The caravan has eminent figures including Feroz Mithiborewala, senior journalist Ajit Sahi, Gauhar Iqbal of Palestine Solidarity Movement and Shaheen KM, Central Advisory Council Member of SIO and Bashiruddin Sharqi, former president of the students group. The caravan, which was denied entry into Pakistan via Wagah border on December and consequently had to fly its members to Iran, is scheduled to set sail for El Arish from the Syrian port of Latakia on December 26, and cross into Gaza at the Rafah border checkpoint, provided Egyptian authorities approve its passage. Their arrival in Gaza on the day will coincide the second anniversary of Israel’s Operation Cast Lead.
En route to Gaza, the convoy will be joined by activists from Indonesia, Iran, Turkey, Syria, and Lebanon besides other Asian countries.


Members of caravan at Wagah border
On 2nd December in New Delhi, the convoy was flagged off by former union minister and senior ruling Congress party leader, Mani Shankar Aiyer from Rajghat. It is said to be Asia’s first humanitarian aid caravan to Palestine. Praising the initiative, Aiyer said: “I congratulate the organisers for taking Mahatma Gandhi’s message of non-violence from Rajghat to Gaza.” The event was also attended by senior Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijay Singh.

http://twocircles.net/2010dec15/iran_president_welcomes_asia_gaza_solidarity_caravan.html