Freedom Flotilla sets sail for Gaza

The Freedom Flotilla that is taking aid to Gaza set sail at 4pm Turkish time (5pm UAE time) Sunday and is expected to reach Gaza in eighteen hours.

Israel could however intercept the vessels significantly earlier than that as organisers of the flotilla say that the state is rumoured to have extended its naval military zone from 20 nautical miles off the coast to 68 miles, which states usually do at times of war.

Professor Norman Baech, a German international law expert and former member of the German parliament who is on the Mavi Marmara said that states that feel threatened often extend naval military zones up to 68 miles beyond their coasts.

The flotilla consists of six vessels that are attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza in defiance of Israel's naval blockade of the territory.

Israel's jurisdiction over Gaza's territorial waters are however disputed. Gaza is considered occupied by the internatinal community but not by Israel, which does now allow Israel to justify its pracitices under its own laws.

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It is believed that if indeed the military zone has been extended it is done to pursue the flotilla in international waters, and away from the coast of Gaza. While Israel has in the past persued such aid boats in internatinoal waters in the past, the move could be an attempt to have a legal cover.

Beach said that such moves are only justifiable if states feel threatened. "We are no threat to Israel. We are only carrying humanitarian aid".

Gulf News was unable to confirm the reports of the expansion.

The Mavi Marmara, the largest passenger ship in the flotilla is carrying more than 550 passengers including two German mamebers of the Bundestag, the parliament, and one Swedish member of parliament, who were transferred to the ship from the Challenger I.

The Challenger I was barred by the authorities in south Cyprus from leaving its ports to join the flotilla. Only after the intervention of the German and Turkish government were its passengers allowed to exit from the Turkish controlled North Cyprus.

View Sailing to Gaza route map in a larger map

Meanwhile, flotilla organisers have said that ealier reports of satellite signals from the ship being jammed were not true. The satellite television linkup is active and satellite phones are working. The interruption was caused by the position the flotilla had taken in the Medeterranean Sea.

Israel is however expected to evetually jam satellite signals as the flotilla approaches Gaza.