Gaza-bound ship Estelle ‘under attack’

JERUSALEM – A ship carrying pro-Palestinian activists seeking to breach Israel’s naval blockade on Gaza has “come under attack” shortly after being approached by Israeli vessels, a spokesman said on Saturday.

“The Estelle is now under attack – I have just had a message from them by phone,” Ms Victoria Strand, a Stockholm-based spokesman for the Ship to Gaza Sweden campaign said.[source]

 

 

A rapidly developing story.

A Swedish-flagged, Finnish sailing vessel, the SV Estelle, is the latest boat full of supplies, international relief supporters, human rights activists, and progressive political figures to attempt to break the illegal Israeli blockage of the Gaza Strip enclave, a densely-paced enclave of misery sometimes called the largest open-air prison in the world.

This afternoon the vessel passed by the Nile Delta and Suez Canal, on a course headed directly to Gaza City.  It has been followed for the past four hours or so by what are assumed to be six Israeli naval vessels, one probably a small frigate.

This news item just got translated to English from Norwegian:

Anonymous Israeli defence sources, cited by the Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang, confirm that Israel intends to attack Estelle tonight, if the ship doesn’t change her course. The source states that Estelle will not be let closer to Gaza’s coast than 12 Nautical miles.

Among those on the SV Estelle are members of the European Parliament and a former member of the Canadian one:

Members of Parliament from Greece, Norway, Sweden and Spain embarked on Estelle at sea in international waters, in an action south of the Greek archipelago. A Greek coastguard vessel nearby did not interfere as the transfer occurred outside of Greek waters.

They are now together with activists and crew from Canada, Finland, Greece, Israel, Italy, Norway, Spain and Sweden.

Estelle is estimated to reach Gaza during the upcoming weekend.

Recently, 80 Irish parliamentarians – from north and south – joined together to support the Estelle and the Gaza flotilla movement.

Here’s the letter of support signed by the Irish parliamentarians:

This summer, the intensified blockade of the Palestinian people of the Gaza Strip has continued into its sixth year. The blockade  – referred to as a ‘siege’ by its victims – is a violation of international law and of the fundamental human rights of the civilian population in Gaza. The blockade has devastating humanitarian consequences for more than 1.6 million people, most of them children, on this coastal strip between the Mediterranean Sea and the Negev desert.

The blockade is illegal, inhumane and—from Israel´s point of view—counterproductive; it neither stops weapons from being smuggled into the Strip or missiles from being fired, nor has it put Hamas out of power. On the contrary.

The documentation of the blockade’s inhumanity and failure to generate anything but violence and despair is mounting. A United Nations report issued in August concluded that “Gaza won’t be livable by 2020 if urgent action is not taken.”

The blockade makes it impossible to properly rebuild the hospitals, homes and water treatment plants that were destroyed in the massive bombing of Gaza in the winter of 2008-2009. The export ban prevents Gaza’s residents from earning a living and is an important factor behind the almost total dependency on aid. The “tunnel economy”, which is one of the consequences of the blockade, nurtures criminality and undermines any legitimate economy.

Family members who live in Gaza and the West Bank are denied the right to visit each other. Young people are denied access to higher education at Palestinian universities in Jerusalem and the West Bank. Fishermen are forbidden to fish outside of three nautical miles from the coast.

Throughout history, the Mediterranean Sea has provided a link between people and cultures. However, for the Palestinians in Gaza the sea constitutes a wall, just like the ones that separate them from Israel, Egypt and other parts of Palestine.

The blockade is a clear impediment to a sustainable and just peace.

However, it is evident that our politicians have fallen short when it comes to adhering to declarations on human rights and international law. It is now time for civil action.

Civil action is what the Ship to Gaza/Freedom Flotilla is offering. The SV Estelle has been sailing since the beginning of the summer. Gaza is her destination; ending the siege is her goal. We, the undersigned, express our support for non-violent actions of solidarity like the Ship to Gaza/Freedom Flotilla, an initiative in which we are committed sympathisers on land.

Our message is simple: Palestinians are human beings with human rights! End the siege!

Yours sincerely,

1. Martina Anderson, MEP (Sinn Féin)
2. Nessa Childers, MEP (Labour Party)
3. Paul Murphy, MEP (Socialist Party)
4. Marian Harkin, MEP (Independent)
5. Maureen O’Sullivan, TD (Independent)
6. Ciaran Lynch, TD (Labour Party)
7. Robert Dowds, TD (Labour Party)
8. Patrick Nulty, TD (Labour Party)
9. Tommy Broughan, TD (Labour Party)
10. James Bannon, TD (Fine Gael)
11. Thomas Pringle, TD (Independent)
12. Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan, TD (Independent)
13. Clare Daly, TD (Independent)
14. Joan Collins, TD (People Before Profit)
15. Richard Boyd Barrett, TD (People Before Profit)
16. Joe Higgins, TD (Socialist Party)
17. Mick Wallace, TD (Independent)
18. John Halligan, TD (Independent)
19. Finian McGrath, TD (Independent)
20. Gerry Adams, TD (Sinn Féin)
21. Michael Colreavy, TD (Sinn Féin)
22. Seán Crowe, TD (Sinn Féin)
23. Pearse Doherty, TD (Sinn Féin)
24. Dessie Ellis, TD (Sinn Féin)
25. Martin Ferris, TD (Sinn Féin)
26. Mary Lou McDonald, TD (Sinn Féin)
27. Sandra McLellan, TD (Sinn Féin)
28. Pádraig MacLochlainn, TD (Sinn Féin)
29. Jonathan O’Brien, TD (Sinn Féin)
30. Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin, TD (Sinn Féin)
31. Aengus Ó Snodaigh, TD (Sinn Féin)
32. Brian Stanley, TD (Sinn Féin)
33. Peadar Tóibín, TD (Sinn Féin)
34. Senator Ivana Bacik (Labour Party)
35. Senator Fiach MacConghail (Independent)
36. Senator Katherine Zappone (Independent)
37. Senator David Norris (Independent)
38. Senator Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)
39. Senator Domhnall O Briain (Fianna Fáil)
40. Senator Darragh O’Brien (Fianna Fáil)
41. Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Féin)
42. Senator Kathryn Reilly (Sinn Féin)
43. Senator David Cullinane (Sinn Féin)
44. Pat Ramsey, MLA (SDLP)
45. Conall McDevitt, MLA (SDLP)
46. Colum Eastwood, MLA (SDLP)
47. Martin McGuinness, MP, MLA (Sinn Féin), Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland
48. John O’Dowd, MLA (Sinn Féin), Minister for Education
49. Carál Ní Chuilín, MLA (Sinn Féin), Minister for Culture, Arts and
50. Michelle O’Neill, MLA (Sinn Féin), Minister for Agriculture and Rural
51. Mickey Brady, MLA (Sinn Féin)
52. Willie Clarke, MLA (Sinn Féin)
53. Declan McAleer MLA (Sinn Féin)
54. Phil Flanagan, MLA (Sinn Féin)
55. Bronwyn McGahan, MLA (Sinn Féin)
56. Gerry Kelly, MLA (Sinn Féin)
57. Sean Lynch, MLA (Sinn Féin)
58. Fra McCann, MLA (Sinn Féin)
59. Jennifer McCann, MLA (Sinn Féin), Junior Minister
60. Raymond McCartney, MLA (Sinn Féin)
61. Barry McElduff, MLA (Sinn Féin)
62. Daithí McKay, MLA (Sinn Féin)
63. Mitchel McLaughlin, MLA (Sinn Féin)
64. Oliver McMullan, MLA (Sinn Féin)
65. Alex Maskey, MLA (Sinn Féin)
66. Rosie McCorley, MLA (Sinn Féin)
67. Francie Molloy, MLA (Sinn Féin)
68. Megan Fearon, MLA (Sinn Féin)
69. Maeve McLaughlin, MLA (Sinn Féin)
70. Cathal Boylan, MLA (Sinn Féin)
71. Cathal Ó hOisín, MLA (Sinn Féin)
72. Michaela Boyle, MLA (Sinn Féin)
73. Sue Ramsey, MLA (Sinn Féin)
74. Caitríona Ruane, MLA (Sinn Féin)
75. Pat Sheehan, MLA (Sinn Féin)
76. Mark Durkan, MP (SDLP)
77. Pat Doherty, MP (Sinn Féin)
78. Michelle Gildernew, MP (Sinn Féin)
79. Conor Murphy, MP (Sinn Féin)
80. Paul Maskey, MP (Sinn Féin)

No American politicians appear to be supporting this, the most recent attempt to break the Israeli blockade.

You can follow the illegal Israeli interception up to the point when they illegally and piratically forcibly seize the vessel, its occupants, their personal property (including all cell phones, laptops, iPads, cameras, etc.) in international waters on twitter or facebook.  Here are some recommended links:

Twitter:

Ship to Gaza Sweden

Miko Peled

(who just tweeted:  @yusufraza: #estelle Isr navy has surrounded the #shiptogaza#Palestine carrying humanitarian aid. @mikopeled @SmithSofia@CarlosLatuff”)

 UPDATE – 11:00 pm PDT:

The SV Estelle made it though the night.  They are close to the Egyptian coast, running due east at about 6 knots:

 Report at 7 AM CET. Estelle is sailing towards the sun. Everything is calm. Distance to Gaza: 52 naval miles. Estelle is sailing at a distance of 17 naval miles to the Egyptian coast. Position: N31,28 E33,21 Speed: 6 knots

 

Update 2 (1:50 am Saturday PDT:

The SV Estelle is being engaged by Israeli forces:

there are reports that the #estelle is under attack @ShiptoGazaSEplease alert networks [source]