FAMAGUSTA: A boat carrying Jewish activists from Israel, Europe and the United States set sail Sunday from Cyprus bound for Gaza, bidding to run Israel’s blockade of the Palestinian territory, an AFP reporter said.
The boat, named Irene, left the port of Famagusta in the Turkish-held north of the divided eastern Mediterranean island early afternoon carrying eight activists, including three crew, and two journalists.
Reuven Moshkovitz, 82, one of those on board the Irene and a Holocaust survivor told AFP she felt duty-bound to attempt the voyage, which is expected to take around 36 hours.
"It is a holy duty for a survivor like me to protect against the persecuting and closing and oppressing of so many people, including 800,000 children in Gaza," she said.
Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak has previously warned that Israel would intercept any ship nearing Gaza, which is run by the Islamist movement Hamas.
Israel came under international censure over its May 31 seizure of a six-ship aid fleet bound for the Palestinian territory when Israeli commandos shot dead nine Turkish activists in a clash on the lead boat.
