Tuesday, July 07, 2009

Israel deports Gaza campaigners

BBC News, July 7, 2009

Gaza activists boat, named Spirit of Humanity
The ship left the Cypriot port of Larnaca on Monday

Israel has deported eight pro-Palestinian activists detained at sea last week as they tried to ferry aid to Gaza in defiance of Israel’s blockade.

Nobel peace laureate Mairead Maguire and former US congresswoman Cynthia McKinney was among them.

They complain the Israeli navy seized them illegally in Palestinian waters.

Israel’s navy has blockaded Gaza since the election victory of Hamas militants in 2006. It said the Greek ship ignored orders to stop and was intercepted.

The crew and passengers were taken into custody last Tuesday and the ship, which had set sail from Cyprus, was impounded in the Israeli port of Ashdod.

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