<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?><oembed><version><![CDATA[1.0]]></version><provider_name><![CDATA[Occupied Palestine | فلسطين]]></provider_name><provider_url><![CDATA[https://occupiedpalestine.wordpress.com]]></provider_url><author_name><![CDATA[occupiedpalestine]]></author_name><author_url><![CDATA[https://occupiedpalestine.wordpress.com/author/hajarhajar/]]></author_url><title><![CDATA[French boat to Gaza sails to Egypt: Greek&nbsp;coastguard]]></title><type><![CDATA[link]]></type><html><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://occupiedpalestine.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/french-boat-gaza.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="38254" data-permalink="https://occupiedpalestine.wordpress.com/2011/07/17/french-boat-to-gaza-sails-to-egypt-greek-coastguard/french-boat-gaza/" data-orig-file="https://occupiedpalestine.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/french-boat-gaza.jpg" data-orig-size="399,266" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}" data-image-title="french-boat-gaza" data-image-description="" data-medium-file="https://occupiedpalestine.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/french-boat-gaza.jpg?w=399" data-large-file="https://occupiedpalestine.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/french-boat-gaza.jpg?w=399" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-38254" title="french-boat-gaza" src="https://occupiedpalestine.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/french-boat-gaza.jpg?w=399&#038;h=266" alt="" width="399" height="266" /></a>Sat Jul 16, 5:35 pm ET &#8211; Yahoo! News</p>
<p>ATHENS (AFP) – A French yacht carrying activists hoping to run the Israeli blockade on Gaza has sailed to Egypt after a troubled stay in Greece, the Greek coastguard said late on Saturday.</p>
<p>The Dignite/Al Karama sailed to the Egyptian port of Alexandria from the tiny Greek island of Kastellorizo, where it had berthed for the past few days, the coastguard said.</p>
<p>While there, it was prevented from sailing on Friday after colliding with a Greek coastguard rescue vessel and causing limited damage, authorities said.</p>
<p>The yacht had previously been taken to the port of Sitia on Crete after being stopped whilst sneaking away last week in defiance of a ban on any ships setting sail from Greece in an attempt to run the Israeli blockade on Gaza.</p>
<p>Other boats which had been expected to participate in the 10-vessel international aid flotilla were similarly blocked from leaving Greece.</p>
<p>The flotilla had been due to set sail in early July but was hit by a wave of administrative obstacles which organisers blamed on Israeli political pressure.</p>
<p>Officials in Athens say they imposed the ban for the &#8220;safety&#8221; of the activists on board in the wake of last year&#8217;s bloody showdown when Israeli commandos raided a six-ship flotilla in a confrontation that left nine Turkish activists dead.</p>
<p>More than 300 activists from 22 countries had signed up to participate in this year&#8217;s flotilla, among them dozens of middle-aged and elderly Americans and Europeans.</p>
<p>Greece has offered to forward the aid to Gaza through its own resources, but claims that the activists have not taken up the proposal.</p>
<p>Israel has made no secret of its determination to prevent the Freedom Flotilla II from reaching Gaza, which has been under a blockade since 2006 after militants there snatched an Israeli soldier who is still being held at a secret location.</p>
<p><a href="http://old.news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110716/wl_mideast_afp/israelpalestiniansgazaflotillagreece">Source</a></p>
]]></html><thumbnail_url><![CDATA[https://occupiedpalestine.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/french-boat-gaza.jpg?fit=440%2C330]]></thumbnail_url><thumbnail_width><![CDATA[399]]></thumbnail_width><thumbnail_height><![CDATA[266]]></thumbnail_height></oembed>