Gaza Blockade

Israel Broadens Gaza Blockade Policy By Tzippe Barrow
CBN News Internet Producer - JerusalemThursday, June 17, 2010RSS
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Ad Feedback JERUSALEM, Israel - Following two days of meetings, the Israeli Security Cabinet announced on Thursday it will "liberalize the system by which civilian goods enter Gaza."
Israel will "expand the inflow of materials for civilian projects that are under international supervision," the Security Cabinet announced in a communiqué issued by the Prime Minister's Office, while "existing security procedures to prevent the inflow of weapons and war materiel" will continue.
The statement said the cabinet would decide over the next few days the ways in which the policy would be implemented.
It also stated that it "expects the international community to work toward the immediate release of [kidnapped IDF soldier] Gilad Shalit, who has been imprisoned by Hamas since his abduction in June 2006.
Meanwhile, IHH, the Turkish "humanitarian relief fund," announced on Wednesday that it will send another six "blockade busting" ships to the Gaza Strip next month.
IHH head Bulent Yildirim said family members of the nine pro-Palestinian activists killed in the confrontation with the Israeli naval commandos on May 31 have volunteered to sail with the next flotilla in July.
Bulent has steered the group's radical Islamic agenda since its founding in 1992. IHH funds and supports Hamas, the Palestinian faction controlling Gaza, and many other global jihadist groups, including the Muslim Brotherhood and al-Qaeda.
With the weekend drawing near, the IDF continues to track two Iranian ships en route to Gaza, one of which may arrive on Saturday or Sunday and the other early next week.
The Navy will meet the ships at sea and advise them to either turn back or sail to the port at Ashdod where the cargo will be unloaded and after a routine security check, transported without delay to Gaza.
Should any ship refuse to heed the warning, the IDF is prepared to take the necessary steps to prevent it from attempting to breech the naval blockade.
Besides Iran, the Lebanese-based Free Palestine Movement said its ships would soon join international efforts to break the blockade.
Though the organizers insist they have no ties with terror groups, Israel is concerned that Hezbollah operatives may be among the "peace" activists on board.