New solidarity boat to set sail for Gaza

The Amalthea, commissioned by Libya's Gadaffi International Charity and Development Foundation (GICDF), will leave the Greek port of Lavrio with 27 activists on board, including Cuban, Indian, Haitian and Syrian citizens, as well as Libyans.

Their journey to Gaza is expected to take up to 80 hours.

Cargo on the vessel includes sacks of rice and sugar and barrels of corn oil and olive paste - mostly donated by Greek charities.

It is just over a month since Israeli commandos raided Gaza-bound ships in international waters, killing eight Turkish nationals and a Turkish US citizen on one of them. The Free Gaza Movement flotilla was also trying to break Israel's blockade on Gaza.

Yesterday head GICDF volunteer Adburaufel Jaziri said: "I am scared, but our lives are in God's hands.

"Our job is to help anyone who needs it - we don't care if they are Catholics or Muslims or whatever - we are helping the people of Gaza who are suffering."

Israel "can check our cargo and certificates, of course they are free to do this," Mr Jaziri said, adding: "If we cannot deliver the aid, we will let Israel deliver it."

The Israeli military would not comment on the solidarity mission.

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Andy David said that it was Tel Aviv's policy to offer aid ships the "option" of docking at an Israeli port, after which Israel would screen the goods aboard and transfer them into Gaza over land.

Mr David said the mission was "nothing more than a cheap provocation."