WASHINGTON - The United States warned on Thursday that a new effort by pro-Palestinian activists to send a flotilla to challenge Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip was dangerous and urged US citizens not to take part.
Activists set sail from Turkey on Wednesday aboard two yachts carrying medical supplies. The
Israeli military said it would not permit them to breach its blockade.
RELATED:MKs: Ban UAL from Knesset for rewarding flotilla activistsUS issues stern warning to Gaza flotilla activistsIn May 2010, nine Turkish activists, including one with dual US-Turkish nationality, were killed in an Israeli raid on a similar convoy that nearly ruptured ties between Turkey and Israel, both critical US allies in the region.
State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Washington had been in touch with the Turkish government on Thursday about the flotilla, and had also spoken to Israeli officials.
"My sense of this was that, given the way this came together there was
some element of surprise for both the Turkish government and our own
government," Nuland said.
She said the United States had sought clarification on news reports that
Turkish warships might be accompanying the flotilla and were told
"quite emphatically" by Turkey that this was not the case.
"We've been clear to them that we think that would be an extremely bad
idea and they've now reassured us that that is not what they are doing
in this case," she said.
Nuland repeated US warnings about earlier flotilla plans, saying that US
citizens who take part in efforts to deliver material support or other
resources to Hamas could face civil and criminal penalties. Hamas has
been officially designated as by the United States as a foreign
terrorist organization.
The 27 activists on board the Canadian and Irish vessels came from
Australia, Canada, Ireland and the United States, and included
Palestinians and at least one Israeli Arab citizen, according to
organizers. Turkey has stressed that the vessels were not
Turkish-flagged, had no Turkish passengers and the captains were not
Turkish.
Israel has offered to unload any aid supplies and deliver them to Gaza.
Israel permits humanitarian aid, food and other supplies to enter Gaza
for its 1.5 million people, many of them impoverished refugees, via land
crossings it closely monitors. Gaza also has a border with Egypt over
which goods are imported.
An IDF spokesman said on Thursday that the Navy is fully prepared for the arrival of the two-boat flotilla.
The IDF is not expecting violent clashes with passengers on-board the vessels, but is prepared for all scenarios.