Israeli naval vessels head into port in Ashdod.
by Elad Benari
Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Israel Gabriella Shalev warned on Thursday that two ships preparing to set sail from Lebanon to the Gaza Strip in order to bring would not be allowed to reach their destination.
In a letter addressed to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and current UN Security Council President Joy Ogwu, Shalev wrote: “The stated intention of these vessels is to violate the existing naval blockade of Gaza."
She added: “Israel reserves its right under international law to use all necessary means to prevent these ships from violating the aforementioned naval blockade. Furthermore, it cannot be ruled out that these vessels carry weapons or individuals with provocative and confrontational intentions.”
Israel of the Gaza Strip following international criticism which came after the IDF raid on the in May. Israeli soldiers who boarded one of the boats in a peaceful attempt to prevent its entrance into Israel's territorial waters killed nine Turkish citizens when attacked by passengers wielding knives and blunt weapons. The ship was found not to be carrying any aid.
Israel allows into Gaza only via land crossings so as to control the passage of arms and materials that can be utilized for aggression against her. Israel allows Gazan to cross for medical aid as well, but. continues to maintain the legal naval blockade instituted after Hamas seized control of Gaza. Hamas-ruled Gaza is a hostile, terrorist entity that bombarded Israeli civilians with thousands of rockets until Israel reentered the area in December 2008 in Operation Cast Lead and holds Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit captive without adhering to international law. In her letter, Shalev noted the option of delivering aid to Gaza by land and added that sending ships to Gaza is meant “to incite a confrontation and raise tension in our region”.
UN officials have urged countries not to attempt to break the Israeli naval blockade on the Strip. UN under-secretary-general for political affairs Lynn Pascoe was quoted in Reuters as having said on Wednesday that “such convoys are not helpful to resolving the basic economic problems of Gaza and needlessly carry the potential for escalation.”
(IsraelNationalNews.com)
