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Supplies from Gaza aid ship awaiting transfer from Egyptian port

17 July 2010 17:54 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Aid intended for Gaza that was unloaded from a Libyan-backed ship in northern Egypt was sitting in storage Saturday, awaiting transfer, according to the governor of North Sinai, APA reports quoting Reuters.
The ship from the Gadhafi foundation, a charity headed by the son of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, docked in Al Arish and began unloading aid Thursday. However, it was taking time to sort out the medical supplies -- a top priority for delivery -- from other aid, Gen. Morad Mowafe told CNN Saturday.
Mowafe expected that the aid would arrive in Gaza by Sunday.
The ship reached Egypt after sailing from Greece on July 10 with 2,000 tons of aid. It was the latest ship attempting to breach an Israeli naval blockade of the Palestinian territory of Gaza whose captain was persuaded to dock elsewhere instead.
The aid includes food, medicine, and construction materials to be taken from the port to the Gaza border about 25 miles (42 kilometers) away.
Israel said it must inspect all goods prior to their entering Gaza to ensure that weapons do not get into the hands of militants. Gaza is run by Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist movement.
The Gadhafi foundation refers to the ship as the Hope, although it appears to be registered as the MV Amalthea. It is Moldovan-flagged and run by ACA Shipping, based in Greece.
Israel came under fierce international criticism after Israeli navy commandos boarded a Gaza-bound Turkish aid ship in May and nine people died.
Israel said the activists on that ship attacked its troops when they boarded the boat.
The Israeli assault on the Turkish ship reverberated internationally and highlighted the Gaza blockade.
Israel has resisted demands for an international inquiry into the incident, but an Israeli military investigation into the boarding of the Mavi Marmara criticized some aspects of the operation.