Qatari charity seeks to defy Gaza blockade Agence France-Presse - 02 December, 2008 A Qatari charity said on Monday it plans to ship one tonne of medical aid to the Gaza Strip this week in a bid to defy an Israeli blockade on the tiny Palestinian http://www.trcb.com/en-Us60Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:26:44 ESTCopyright 2012 IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis, TRCB.com All Right Reservedhttp://www.trcb.com/news/israel/general/ship-leaving-doha-qatar-friday-to-challenge-gaza-blockade-2546.htm<p>Qatari charity seeks to defy Gaza blockade Agence France-Presse - 02 December, 2008 </p> <p>A Qatari charity said on Monday it plans to ship one tonne of medical aid to the Gaza Strip this week in a bid to defy an Israeli blockade on the tiny Palestinian territory.</p> <p>"We intend to send a boat in a symbolic gesture, carrying a tonne of medcine to our brothers in Gaza," said Abdallah al-Nimaa, vice president of the pro-Islamist Qatar Charity Organisation.</p> <p>Nimaa told AFP the ship is to sail from Doha on Friday although he expects the Israeli authorities to stop the vessel from reaching Gaza, where most of its 1.5 million people depend on foreign aid.</p> <p>"We expect Israeli warships to bar the Qatari aid ship, however we are determined," he said, adding that the organisation did not request an Israeli permit.</p> <p>The announcement came as Israeli warships barred a Libyan ship carrying 3,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid from reaching Gaza, forcing it to divert towards Egypt.</p> <p>Israel sealed off its crossings with Gaza -- the impoverished territory's main gateway for food and humanitarian aid -- as well as its maritime borders after the Islamist movement Hamas violently seized power there in June 2007.</p>Tue, 02 Dec 2008 04:43:31 ESThttp://www.trcb.com/news/israel/general/ship-leaving-doha-qatar-friday-to-challenge-gaza-blockade-2546.htmTRCB.comNews Israel / General