Monday, May 31, 2010

'Activists refuse to leave Gaza aid ships'

'Activists refuse to leave Gaza aid ships'
Mon, 31 May 2010 12:47:58 GMT
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An Israeli naval vessel (C) arrives at the port of Ashdod.
International activists aboard ships load with humanitarian aid for Gaza which were attacked and rerouted by the Israeli navy have refused to leave the vessels.

All activists on board the vessels have refused to leave the ships at the port of Ashdod because they want to fulfill their mission and deliver supplies to the people of Gaza, a Press TV correspondent reported on Monday.

Some of the injured activists have been transferred to Israeli hospitals, added our correspondent.

Israel stormed the Freedom Flotilla earlier on Monday, killing at least 20 people, mostly Turkish nationals and injuring 50 others, reported al-Aqsa television.

The convoy was intercepted in international waters, some 150km (90 miles) off the coast of the Gaza Strip.

The killing of the international activists by the Israeli military has faced condemnation across the world.

Turkey, which led the nine-vessel convoy, along with several European countries, denounced the Israeli navy's move and called for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council over the incident.

Sweden, Greece, Spain, Denmark, Norway, Italy, Belgium, France, Germany, and Ireland have all summoned Israeli envoys to their respective countries.

The convoy was carrying 10,000 tons of supplies and hundreds of politicians, activists and journalists.

The Flotilla was seeking to break Israel's three-year-long blockade of Gaza and deliver basic necessities to the impoverished Palestinians living in the coastal enclave.

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