Gaza Humanitarian Aid | The American Task Force on Palestine

Gaza activists warn Israel not to block new convoy
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Alertnet
May 30, 2011 - 12:00am

Pro-Palestinian activists told Israel on Monday not to interfere in a planned aid flotilla to Gaza in late June, barely a year after Israeli commandos boarded an aid ship killing eight Turks and one Turkish-American. Holding a news conference on the deck of the Mavi Marmara where the May 31 2010 confrontation occurred, a coalition of 22 activist groups called on governments to ensure there was no re-run of the incident.

INTERVIEW-Turkey's saves ire for Israel, concern for Syria
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Alertnet
by Tulay Karadeniz - (Interview) May 30, 2011 - 12:00am

Democratic governments cannot stop their citizens launching another pro-Palestinian flotilla to Gaza, Turkey's foreign minister said on Monday, a year after the storming of an aid ship by Israeli marines. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on Friday for activists to be discouraged from again setting sail for Gaza, but Ahmet Davutoglu said it was not within the authority of a democracy to prevent private challenges to an illegal blockade. "No democratic country can think that they have full control over these NGOs (non-government organisations)," he said.

EU commissioner calls for 'immediate,' opening of Gaza Crossings
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
May 18, 2011 - 12:00am

EU Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva called for the "immediate, sustained and unconditional opening of crossings for the flow of humanitarian aid, commercial goods and persons," following her trip to the coastal enclave Tuesday. It was a message she also conveyed to Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak in Tel Aviv, when she met with the official after her Gaza visit. Her trip, a statement from her office of International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response said, "highlighted the dramatic human and far-reaching effects of the blockade of the Gaza Strip."

A Year After Israeli Raid, 2nd Flotilla to Set Sail for Gaza
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Susanne Gusten - May 11, 2011 - 12:00am

Riding the ripples of the Golden Horn, the Mavi Marmara tugs at its moorings in the shipyard where it is being readied to head back into troubled waters. A flotilla of 15 ships carrying humanitarian aid and activists from 100 countries will sail for Gaza next month, in a second attempt to break the Israeli blockade of the Palestinian territory, organizers announced this week.

Report: New Gaza flotilla postponed
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Itamar Eichner - April 27, 2011 - 12:00am

Pro-Palestinian activists organizing the next Gaza flotilla said Tuesday they are having a hard time recruiting activists, vessels and crew members. Apparently many fear a confrontation with the Israeli naval commandoes after eight Turks and one Turkish-American died during an IDF raid last May onboard the Mavi Marmara, according to reports making their way to the political echelon in Jerusalem. The sea convoy was set to sail to the Gaza Strip in late May, the first anniversary of the raid, but it could be delayed, partly because it clashes with Turkish election campaigning.

Israel signals will block planned flotilla to Gaza
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
by Jeffrey Heller - April 27, 2011 - 12:00am

Israel signalled on Wednesday it would intercept a flotilla pro-Palestinian activists plan to send to Gaza for the anniversary of an Israeli raid on a Turkish ship that tried to breach its naval blockade. The Free Gaza Movement has said 15 vessels with international passengers, including Europeans and Americans, were expected to set sail in late May for the territory, run by Hamas Islamists opposed to peace with Israel.

Pro-Palestinian activists prepare 15-boat Gaza aid flotilla one year after deadly Israeli raid
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press
April 26, 2011 - 12:00am

Pro-Palestinian activists say a planned convoy of aid ships to the Gaza Strip will be twice as big as a similar flotilla that was raided a year ago by Israeli forces, leaving nine people dead on a Turkish boat. Organizers say they hope to depart around the May 31 anniversary of the fatal raid, but say it could happen later than that. Huseyin Oruc, a spokesman for an Islamic aid group in Turkey, said Tuesday that an international coalition of 22 non-governmental organizations plans to send 15 ships with a total of 1,500 people.

Palestinians reject possible U.S. aid deduction
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
April 18, 2011 - 12:00am

A Palestinian official on Monday rejected any possible U.S. reduction of aid if the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) sought an international recognition of independence. The U.S. threats against the Palestinians "reflect a complete U. S. bias to the Israeli policies and arrogance in dealing with the Palestinians and their legitimate rights," said Hanan Ashrawi, a member of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee.

Turkey tells Israel: Gaza flotilla not up to us
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
April 14, 2011 - 12:00am

Turkey said on Thursday it had received a request from Israel to help stop activists sailing to Gaza on the first anniversary of an Israeli raid on a Turkish ship, but it said the flotilla plan was not Ankara's concern. Turkey, a Muslim former ally of the Jewish state, has scaled back ties, demanding Israel apologise and pay damages for last year's raid, which caused an international outcry.

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