Gadhafi’s Son Sends Humanitarian Aid Ship To Break Gaza Blockade
Organizers of Libyan charity expect Hope cargo ship to set out from Greece later Friday with 2,000 tons of aid and ‘a number of supporters’, according to AFP.
The son of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi has organized a humanitarian boat to sail from Greece to the Gaza Strip in effort to break Israel’s naval blockade of the coastal territory, AFP reported on Friday.
The Gadhafi International Charity and Development Association headed Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi expects its Hope cargo ship to set out later Friday, organizers told AFP.
The ship will carry “about 2,000 tons of humanitarian aid in the form of foodstuff and medications” and “a number of supporters who are keen on expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people in the plight amidst the siege imposed on Gaza,” organizers said.
Israel lifted its three-year land blockade of Gaza last month, following international pressure surrounding its May 31 naval raid of six-ship aid flotilla. Nine Turkish citizens were killed when Israeli commandos stormed their ship, leading to global calls on Israel to rescind its policy.
Another ship that set out days after that raid, the Rachel Corrie, agreed to Israel’s request to dock at the Ashkelon port. Israel had made clear prior to the flotilla incident that it would not allow ships to enter Gaza territory, and invited them to dock and unload their cargo in Ashkelon for subsequent transfer of goods to the Palestinians.
A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse..
Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
