Pro-Palestinian flotilla sets sail for Gaza, setting stage for showdown with Israel

Pro-Palestinian flotilla sets sail for Gaza

HAIFA, Israel — Organizers say a flotilla carrying hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists is now on its way to the Gaza Strip — and a likely confrontation with Israeli naval forces.

Organizer Huwaida Arraf says the six-ship flotilla set sail for the Gaza Strip from waters off the coast of Cyprus on Sunday afternoon. She says they expect to reach Gaza on Monday afternoon, and that two more ships are scheduled to follow.

The flotilla has experienced repeated delays in recent days, both because of mechanical problems and a ban by Cyprus from using its ports.

The mission is carrying 10,000 tons of humanitarian aid for Gaza, which has been blockaded by Israel and Egypt for three years.

Israel calls the flotilla a provocation and has vowed to prevent it from reaching Gaza.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

HAIFA, Israel (AP) — Hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists on seven ships prepared to set sail for the Gaza Strip on Sunday from international waters close to Cyprus, edging closer to an expected naval showdown as Israeli officials warned they would halt the flotilla from reaching the blockaded territory.

The ships are expected to reach Gaza on Monday, organizers said.

Greta Berlin, one of the flotilla’s coordinators, said the ships briefly set sail early Sunday from Cyprus, about 250 miles (400 kilometers) northwest of Gaza, but then stopped after moving about 25 miles (40 kilometers) to finish loading passengers. “There’s no way they’ll get there before Monday morning,” she said.

The seven-ship flotilla is carrying thousands of tons of supplies, including materials that Israel prevents from reaching Gaza freely, like cement and other building materials. The activists say they are also carrying hundreds of electrical-powered wheelchairs, prefabricated homes and water purifiers.

Some 750 pro-Palestinian activists are also on the boats, including Nobel peace laureate Mairead Corrigan Maguire, European legislators and an elderly Holocaust survivor.

The activists say they are seeking to defy Israel and Egypt’s blockade on the Gaza Strip, imposed after the Islamic militant group Hamas seized power of the territory in June 2007.

Israeli officials have bristled at criticism of its Gaza blockade, now under renewed scrutiny because of the media’s coverage of the flotilla.

Israel prevents all but humanitarian aid and some commercial goods from entering Gaza.

It does not allow in raw materials that can be used for weapons-making, materials for industry or construction nor items it considers luxury goods, such as instant coffee and chocolate. Most exports are also banned. Neighboring Egypt, which controls passenger crossings, does not allow Gaza residents to freely leave the tiny coastal area.

Israeli officials have vowed to block the flotilla’s arrival, viewing it as a provocation.

In initial preparation, naval gunships were dispatched Friday to wait for the ships and are expected to halt their passage into Gaza. Other gunships remained in the northern port of Haifa, waiting for the flotilla to get closer before heading out to sea. Israeli military officials say they hope to resolve the situation peacefully but are prepared for all scenarios.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said foreigners on the ships would be “sent back to their countries.” Activists who did not willingly agree to be sent back would be detained and could appeal their deportation, he added. A special detention facility has been set up in the southern Israeli city of Ashdod.

At Gaza’s tiny port, meant for small fishing boats, Hamas officials, activists and foreign nationals prepared to welcome the flotilla. They sat in some 40 small boats, bobbing in the sea, decorated with the flags of the countries of the pro-Palestinian activists, including Turkey and Algeria.

In other boats, Gaza boy scouts played music, while on shore, other activists released balloons with the faces of Palestinian civilians and militants killed in battles with Israeli forces.

Gaza residents have long defied parts of the blockade by digging underground tunnels linking the territory to Egypt, hauling in scarce consumer goods, rolling in vehicles and even pumping in gas.

If the activists make it to Gaza, they will see a bustling territory where most of the goods they are bringing is freely available through the tunnels — at a price.

Israeli officials note they have prevented a humanitarian crisis in Gaza and highlight that the territory is ruled by a group that wants the destruction of the Jewish state.

But top U.N. officials and international aid groups have criticized the blockade for disproportionately harming Gaza’s poor as jobs are wiped out.