ATHENS - The Greek coastguard intercepted a small French boat with pro-Palestinian activists aboard on Thursday, the third flotilla ship to be prevented from sailing to Gaza to challenge an Israeli blockade.
Greece imposed a ban on all Gaza-bound ships saying it feared for the safety of the activists who are now trying to find a way to set sail. A year ago, nine people were killed when IDF commandos stormed a Turkish flotilla ship and were met with violence.
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Flotilla diplomacy: Giving some credit where it’s dueThe boat with about 10 activists aboard, including French politicians, an MEP and a journalist, sailed from Corsica. Activists had said it was in international waters waiting to join the rest of the flotilla, now confined in Greek ports.
The
Dignity was detected in the early morning near the southern Greek
island of Crete as it was refuelling at sea and was towed to the port of
Sitia for checks, the coastguard said.
"We are still checking their papers. We haven't spotted any problem so
far. They have not disclosed their destination, maybe because they have
not decided yet," said a coastguard official in Crete, on condition of
anonymity.
There were no arrests, activists and the coastguard said.
The 10-ship flotilla, with about 350 passengers, was supposed to take
drugs, food and building materials to Gaza by the end of June, but a
priority was to challenge the blockade.
But the chances that they will reach their destination has faded due to
the vigilance of the Greek coastguard, which has intercepted three of
their ships so far and is closely watching the other seven, moored in
ports across Greece.
'We're still waiting. We can't move'
"We are still waiting. We know that the days are going by but we are
waiting to see what will happen. So far, we can't move," said Dimitris
Plionis, one of the activists.
On Friday, the Greek coastguard intercepted the US ship
Audacity of Hope
just a short while after it set sail from Piraeus port, and arrested
its captain. Three days later, armed coastguards boarded the Canadian
ship
Tahrir which set sail from Crete and escorted it back. Three people were detained.
Although all four detainees were freed, they face charges for defying
the Greek ban, which can only be lifted if the Greek Citizen Protection
Ministry issues a new order. Nine ships are being confined in Greek
ports and all 10 are accounted for.
Jerusalem says the blockade on Gaza is aimed at stopping weapons from
reaching the Strip's rulers, Hamas -- an Islamist terrorist group.
In an effort to calm the activists, Greece offered to ferry the aid to
Gaza in cooperation with the United Nations. The activists turned the
offer down saying this was "insufficient" as their mission was also
about the rights of the Palestinian people and not just about aid.
"It is an offer that is always on the table and is still on the table,"
said Greek Foreign Minister Stavros Lambrinides on Thursday in Vienna.