<?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[Army: Gaza-bound boats refused to turn back,&nbsp;re-route]]></title><type><![CDATA[link]]></type><html><![CDATA[<hr align="left" size="1" width="100%" />
<p><strong>Action 4 #Freedomwaves <span style="text-decoration:underline;"><span style="color:#ff0000;text-decoration:underline;"><a href="http://wp.me/p16sn9-eVi" target="_blank"><span style="color:#ff0000;text-decoration:underline;">ALL NUMBER, CALL &amp; DEMAND SAFE PASSAGE 2 Gaza</span></a></span></span></strong></p>
<hr align="left" size="1" width="100%" />
<p><strong>Press Release #<a href="http://wp.me/p16sn9-ePX" target="_blank">FREEDOMWAVES</a> | Topic <a href="http://wp.me/p16sn9-ePJ" target="_blank">FreedomWaves</a> | Category <a href="https://occupiedpalestine.wordpress.com/2011/05/29/iremember-the-mavi-marmara-massacre-in-pictures/" target="_blank">Flotilla</a> | <a href="http://wp.me/p16sn9-eSC" target="_blank">Pictures</a></strong></p>
<hr align="left" size="1" width="100%" />
<p><img src="https://i2.wp.com/www.maannews.net/images/PhotoViewer/152794.jpg" alt="" /><br />
Maan News Agency | November 4, 2011</p>
<p>BETHLEHEM (Ma&#8217;an) &#8212; Israeli forces made contact with two ships attempting to sail to Gaza early Friday afternoon, but activists refused their call to turn back or reroute, the army said.</p>
<p>&#8220;The vessels are continuing on their route to an area under a maritime security blockade,&#8221; an army statement said.</p>
<p>Organizers of the Canadian Tahrir and the Irish Saoirse boats, who aim to break Israel&#8217;s blockade of the Gaza Strip, said forces had requested the final destination of the boats via radio contact.</p>
<p>Crew responded &#8220;the conscience of humanity,&#8221; and upon second request &#8220;the betterment of mankind,&#8221; media liaison Laurence Davis told Ma&#8217;an.</p>
<p>The crews were contacted shortly after viewing two Israeli ships rapidly approaching the flotilla at 48 nautical miles off Gaza&#8217;s coast, Davis said.</p>
<p>The Israeli army statement said the navy &#8220;advised the vessels that they may turn back at any point, thereby not breaking the maritime security blockade, or sailing to a port in Egypt or the port of Ashdod.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;The activists refused to cooperate,&#8221; it said.</p>
<p>The boats are carrying 27 people from nine countries.</p>
<p>They set sail to Gaza from Fethiye, Turkey, in a secret launch due to accusations in July that Israel tried to sabotage a previous effort, the activists said in a statement Wednesday.</p>
<p>Supporters in Gaza boarded boats at Gaza&#8217;s fishing port to show support for the flotilla on Friday morning, Rana Baker, a 20-year-old student told Ma&#8217;an.</p>
<p>After a morning press conference, supporters will return to welcome the boats expected around 7 p.m., she said.</p>
<p>In rallies in Ramallah and Gaza City in support of the flotilla on Thursday, protesters delivered a statement to UN officials calling for international protection of the boats and recognition that policies, not aid, were behind Gaza&#8217;s situation.</p>
<p>&#8220;Stop treating Gaza (and Palestine as a whole) as a charity case!&#8221; the statement said.</p>
<p>&#8220;In our schools, universities and through our organizations, we are taught about human rights and international law, and yet it seems like Palestinians fall into a class of people upon whom these rights don’t apply.&#8221;</p>
<p>Activists tried to send another flotilla to Gaza in June, but all nine vessels were stopped.</p>
<p>They were intercepted or stopped from leaving port, suffered suspicious damage before sailing, or pulled out amid speculation that their organizers had succumbed to political pressure.</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=435136">Source and more at Maan News Agency</a></strong></p>
]]></html><thumbnail_url><![CDATA[https://occupiedpalestine.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/2863175_orig3.jpg?fit=440%2C330]]></thumbnail_url><thumbnail_width><![CDATA[440]]></thumbnail_width><thumbnail_height><![CDATA[330]]></thumbnail_height></oembed>