Israel plans to stop a boat of activists planning to set sail for Gaza.
The Free Gaza movement is scheduled to leave from Cyprus for Gaza Tuesday, the second time it will attempt to break Israel’s blockade of the Hamas-run strip. The first trip in August, comprised of two boats full of activists, was not blocked by Israel’s Navy.
Israeli officials said a decision was made last month at the “highest governmental levels,” to stop the boat, when it was originally scheduled to make the second trip, the Jerusalem Post reported Tuesday.
The 26 activists, including an Arab-Israel lawmaker, 1976 Nobel Peace Prize winner Mairead Maguire, and Palestinian Legislative Council member Mustafa Barghouti, will bring medicines to Gaza.
The Free Gaza Movement used August’s demonstration to gain publicity against Israel’s blockade of Gaza, despite the fact that Israel let the boats pass without stopping them.
The blockade was instituted after the terrorist group Hamas won Palestinian elections in 2006.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
