Boats Break Gaza Siege! Thousands Welcome!
Thousands of Palestinians greeted two Free Gaza boats in the port of Gaza City on August 23, 2008. Forty-three citizens from around the world, including a Greek Parliamentarian and former Prime Minister Tony Blair’s sister-in-law broke Israel’s naval blockade of the Gaza Strip in direct challenge to Israel’s comprehensive closure on Gaza. They also carried with them needed medical supplies for the people of Gaza. Israel claims it ended its occupation of Gaza with the pullout of Israeli soldiers and settlers in 2005. However, Israel continues to control all movement by air, sea, and land in and out of the Gaza Strip, denying Palestinians freedom or control over their lives. On return to Cyprus the Free Gaza activists carried with them a mother and her children to reunite with their family, and a young Palestinian boy in need of medical attention abroad. Israel has denied these and thousands of other Palestinians permission to leave Gaza. Since August the Free Gaza Movement has made four additional successful voyages, each time bringing food and medical supplies, and taking out Palestinians trapped in Gaza due to Israel’s restrictions, including several university students, who had been unable to take advantage of scholarships from European and American universities. Although bringing in humanitarian aid, Free Gaza is not a humanitarian organization, but rather a human rights organization. For more information: www.FreeGaza.org