Gaza Siege Broken! Thousands Greet SS Liberty in Port!

ISRAELI MILITARY GUNBOAT RAMS UNARMED PALESTINIAN FISHING VESSEL

For More Information, Please Contact:
(Gaza) Donna Wallach, +972 59 883 6420 / cats4jazz@gmail.com
(Gaza) Andrew Muncie, +972 59 883 6309 / muncie88@hotmail.com

For photos of the damage, see:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29205195@N02/sets/7215760723170...

(GAZA COASTAL WATERS) 10th September 2008 - An Israeli military gunboat rammed an unarmed Palestinian fishing vessel today at high speeds. The gunboat smashed through the upper hull of the fishing boat, careened over the top, and landed on the other side.

Extensive damage was caused by the impact to the fishing boat. The hull was badly damaged, and virtually the entire deck area, all the equipment in it, and the canopy above the deck were severely damaged. Unusually, all of the crew happened to be in the cabin or at the fore at the time. Had they been on deck they would have had little chance of survival.

Via a megaphone, the Israeli military aboard the gunboat then made the threat that: "When the internationals leave Gaza, you will all be made to pay."

Human rights observers from the International Solidarity Movement and from the Free Gaza Movement have recently been accompanying Gazan Fishermen during their work. The fishermen are constantly harassed, threatened and attacked by the State of Israel, in flagrant violation of international law and maritime law. Israel has been attempting to impose an illegal "no-go" area 6 miles off Gaza's coast through employment of lethal force against unarmed fishing boats. However, and this is not unusual, today's attack happened within the so-called "permitted" 6-mile area.

The ISM regards the project of accompanying unarmed Palestinian fishermen as a long term commitment. Some of the human rights observers currently undertaking this work are long-term volunteers who will be in Gaza for the indefinite future. More long-term volunteers are expected to bolster their number within the next few weeks.

Please TAKE ACTION and CALL:

The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs
tel: +972 2 530 3111
fax: +972 2 530 3367

Permanent Mission of Israel to the United Nations
tel: +1 212 499 5510
fax: +1 212 499 5515

DEMAND that Israel stop using deadly force to intimidate unarmed
Palestinian fishermen operating within Gaza's coastal waters!
###

On Saturday the 6th of September, human rights workers from the Free Gaza Movement and the International Solidarity Movement again accompanied Palestinian fishermen in Gaza. It was just 09:30 in the morning, and we were only 4 miles out to sea, having barely left Gaza's coastline behind, when the gunboat's heavy machine gun opened up, spraying the wake around our hull with bullets.

(Later that day)

Before long and the light began to fade. All in our fleet were heading back to Gaza City, dragging their nets for the last time that day. We waited eagerly in anticipation of Iftar and the time when we could break our fast. Two of the men had already begun preparing the Ramadan supper, frying fish and prawns from that day's catch. We gazed out across the sea, calculating how long it would be before the low sun finally met the horizon.

Suddenly another gunboat appeared with a definite menace apparent in its speed and course. Its cannon roared twice, the shells narrowly missing one of the leading boats, exploding in the water. Tracer bullets then pierced the dim light streaking across the sky just as the gunboat swerved again and went for another target. Its cannon roared a third time, and we tried to film, but the light was now so dim and the boat far away. But it mattered not. The fishermen insisted we stop, for the Ramadan supper was ready and their course was already set.

--Andrew Muncie, Free Gaza Movement, Gaza

http://freegaza.org/

Video of Israeli gunboats firing on Gaza Fisherman:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTUYivihoTE

ISRAELI NAVAL VESSELS FIRING ON UNARMED FISHING BOATS AND HUMAN RIGHTS WORKERS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date : 09-01-2008

(OFF THE COAST OF GAZA) 1 September 2008 - Israeli Naval vessels are currently firing on unamrmed Palestinian fishing boats and international human rights workers off the coast of the Gaza Strip. The fishing boats are several miles off the coast of Gaza City, in Palestinian territorial waters. As of 11am (4am EST) no one had been injured, but live ammunition is still being fired in the direction of the civilian boats.
The unarmed boats went to sea at dawn this morning, in an attempt to fish in their own water. Six international human rights workers from five different countries accompanied the fishermen in the hopes that their presence would deter the Israeli military from firing on the fishermen. In the past the Israeli military has shot and killed unarmed Palestinian fishermen for trying to fish in their own waters.
Accompanying the fishermen are:
Vittorio Arrigoni, Italy
Georgios Karatzas, Greece
Adam Qvist, Denmark
Andrew Muncie, Scotland
Donna Wallach, USA

http://freegaza.org/index.php?module=latest_news&id=97568b5a...

Vittorio Arrigoni's Account of the Israeli Shooting

Date : 09-01-2008

"When at a distance, estimated by our fishing boat’s captain, of 7 nautical miles from the coast, we dropped our fishing nets and started fishing the Israeli warships rushed to reach our position.
One of the warships positioned at a distance less than 200 metres alongside of our fishing boat, opened fire in our direction at least 4 times during the day. It was intimidating fire directed into the water, but some bursts almost touched the hull of our boat. A cannon shot almost reached us. Making attempt of obtaining a radio contact was useless. Soldiers on the Israeli warship ordered, with the use of megaphones, the area evacuation. And after that they were shooting. Sometimes they were shooting before having ordered. Once they shooted to our fishing nets and tried to damaged it sailing directly on them.
Unfortunetely our big mistake was not having with us neither cameras nor video cameras that, together with megaphones to be used exactly like they do, I consider essential for our next fishing missions.

Despite these intimidations the fishing was rich and profitable, we brought ashore quantity of fish ten times bigger than the usual Palestinians fishers standard."

01/09/2008

http://freegaza.org/index.php?module=latest_news&id=77693d4f...

1. By Land

About 9 of our original international passengers stayed on in Gaza to do media and other work. Yesterday, British Journalist Lauren Booth and I attempted to exit via Eretz Crossing into Israel, accompanied by sick Palestinians needing specialty care not available in Gaza. The Israeli border guards threatened to shoot us, but we advanced slowly with our arms raised holding our passports up high; We advanced right through the tunnel right up to the iron gate, but the Israelis would not open it. The US and British Embassy's gave us the Royal runaround and would not help us.

So after a visit to Beit Hanoun to see the Al Athamna Family, who are still in a state of grief from the massacre of 19 members of their family by Israeli mortar shells 2 years ago, we headed back to Gaza City. So now we are waiting for the Egyptian authorities to let us out of Gaza through Rafah. They are under pressure from Israel to keep us trapped in here. Now I am getting a better appreciation of what it means to be a Palestinian from Gaza.

Bill Dienst, MD

2. By Sea

We arrived safely last night. The trip home was much less eventful than the trip to Gaza and much less emotional. On board my boat, the FREE GAZA, was a family of Palestinians who had not been let out of the concentration camp called "Gaza" for five years. The mother had given birth to her youngest son four years ago, and the family, living in Cyprus, had not seen him. The joy on the faces of Hana's family was worth waiting the extra half day to leave. We had to make sure that the Cypriot authorities would allow them in.

On board the LIBERTY was a 10-year-old boy whose leg had been shot off by the Israeli military. He was from Khan Younis. The story (and I haven't been able to verify it it yet) is that he was standing with his friend as an Israeli tank invaded his town. A sniper shot him through one leg, then when he stood to run, the sniper shot him through the other one, causing huge damage to the leg. It was amputated at the hip. Again, we had to wait for Cypriot authorities to give permission for him to transit to another country.

On the first page of the Cyprus Mail is a photo of the boy with Osama, one of our organizers. Even though we came in at 9 pm, the media was all over the quay waiting for us. Although we didn't get seasick this time, many of us, because we are so exhausted, are feeling the land effects today, swaying as we try to walk down the streets.

It has been a week of over-riding joy, sadness at the condition of so many sick and wounded Palestinians, hope for the future, and disbelief that we not only arrived safely but left safely. As we pulled out of Gaza yesterday, seven Israeli naval vessels surrounded the Palestinian fishermen who joyfully escorted us six miles out. The last view we had of Gaza was of the seven gunboats surrounding the fishermen. We've heard from our Israeli sources that they arrested four of them.

As usual, the Palestinians will face the wrath of the Israeli military, because they had egg on their faces and will take it out on the weakest.

We meet this morning to plan the second trip.

Greta

http://freegaza.org

FREE GAZA MOVEMENT announces the arrival at 20:30 (10:30am PDT), Friday 29 August, 2008 of the FREE GAZA and LIBERTY vessels, in Larnaca Harbour, returning from Gaza, and a successful end to this first of such missions.

The historic return voyage represents the first time since 1967 that Palestinians have been able freely to enter and leave their country. The Free Gaza Movement will mark this historic moment with a reception at Larnaca Harbour , as will Palestinians in Gaza , as both boats return safely from Gazan and international waters after a calm and uneventful crossing.

Organiser Paul Larudee: “This endeavour has been a huge success, far more significant and wide-reaching than anyone ever dreamt it could be. It has had obvious beneficial effects on the Palestinian people, but also on Israel . In fairness, credit must go where credit is due -- despite threats or obstacles, a responsible decision was made by Israeli authorities not to interfere with our mission and this is a model for the future."

Or, in the words of Palestinian voyager, Musheir El-Farra, originally born and raised in Khan Younis in Gaza but currently living in Sheffield , UK :

“For the first time in my life, I went to Gaza without being humiliated, without having to ask Israel for permission. We did it. We finally did it. And now others must join us and do it as well.”

http://freegaza.org/index.php?module=latest_news&id=7a2bc0f3...

The SS Free Gaza and SS Liberty left port in Gaza at 3:40 PM, and have begun their long voyage back to Cyprus. Aboard the ship are seven Palestinian passengers, including several children. We were able to speak with Paul Larudee on the SS Liberty just a few minutes ago:

"We're a little over an hour into our return trip to Cyprus and, unlike when we came in, there are several Israeli naval vessels in sight. We seem to be the focus of their activity, the center of their attention so to speak. However they're keeping a careful distance, not really approaching us. We expect to reach the twelve-mile limit around 7 PM this evening, and then cross over into international waters.

"When we arrived in Gaza last Saturday, it was the first time in forty-one years that anyone has freely entered Gaza. But our leaving is in a way even more significant. Last Saturday, two of our Palestinian members came into Gaza on these boats. Today, seven more Palestinians are leaving with them. They got exit stamps from the Palestinian government, they boarded the ships, and soon they'll be in international waters, and then in Cyprus. This is the first time, ever, that Palestinians have been able to freely enter and leave their own country. It's an incredible step forward, and a sign of greater things to come."

--Paul Larudee, aboard the SS Liberty, freely leaving Gaza.

(GAZA CITY, 28 August 2008) - After having shattered the Israeli blockade of Gaza earlier this week, the SS Free Gaza and SS Liberty will depart Gaza for Cyprus at 2pm today. Several Palestinians who have previously been denied exit visas by Israel will join international human rights workers on the journey. Among the Palestinians leaving are Saed Mosleh, age 10, of Beit Hanoon, Gaza. Saed lost his leg due to an Israeli tank shell and is leaving Gaza with his father to seek medical treatment. Also on board are the Darwish family, who will finally be reunited with their relatives in Cyprus.

PALESTINIANS LEAVING GAZA ON THE SS FREE GAZA & SS LIBERTY
Maha M.S. Darwish, mother
Omar Darwish, age 5
Sami M.J. Darwish, age 14
Ayman M.J. Darwish, age 17
Tawfiq M.J. Darwish, age 18
Khaled Mosleh, father
Saed Mosleh, age 10

INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS WORKERS LEAVING GAZA
Greta Berlin, Los Angeles, USA
Nikolaos Bolos, Athens, Greece
Lauren Booth, London, UK
Maria del Mar, Vilanova i La Geltru, Spain
Musheir El Farra, Sheffield, UK
Eliza Ernshire, London, UK
Petros Giotis, Athens, Greece
Christos Giouanopoulos, Athens, Greece
Derek Graham, Ballina, Ireland
Mary Thompson-Hughes, Los Angeles & London
Fathi Jaoudi, Jendouba, Tunisia & London
Yiannis Karipidis, Komothnh, Greece
Giorgios Klontzas, St. Nicolaos, Greece
John Klusmire, Monterey, CA, USA
The Hon. Anastasios Kourakis, MP (representing Thessaloniki, Greece)
Dr. Paul Larudee, El Cerrito, CA, USA
Dr. Edith Lutz, Cologne, Germany
Theresa McDermott, Edinburgh, Scotland
Sr. Anne Montgomery, New York, USA
Aki Nawaz, Bradford, UK
Thomas Nelson, Welches, OR, USA
Peter Philips, New York, USA
Dr. Vaggelis Pissias, Athens, Greece
Panagiotis Politis, Volos, Greece
Yvonne Ridley, London, UK
David Schermerhorn, Deer Harbor, WA, USA
Huwaida Arraf Shapiro, Ramallah, Palestine
Courtney Sheetz, New York, USA
Kathy Sheetz, Woods Hole, MA, USA
Ren Tawil, Minneapolis, MN
Kathleen Wang, Diamond Bar, CA, USA

INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS WORKERS REMAINING IN GAZA
Vittorio Arrigoni, Bulciago, Italy
Georgios Karatzas, Pireas, Greece
Jenny Linnell, Totnes, UK
Andrew Muncie, Spean Bridge, Scotland
Ken O'Keefe, London, UK
Adam Qvist, Copenhagen, Denmark
Darlene Wallach, San Jose, CA, USA
Donna Wallach, San Jose, CA, USA

http://freegaza.org/index.php?module=latest_news&id=4c1177ea...

Two boats full of international activists that were allowed to sail into Gaza's harbor on Saturday may be detained by the navy on Thursday as they set sail back to Cyprus, this time with 14 Palestinians on board.

On Wednesday, the Free Gaza Movement held a press conference in Gaza City to announce the departure of the SS Free Gaza and SS Liberty early Thursday morning. In addition to the 40 foreign activists, organizers said, the boats would also be carrying some 14 Palestinians who had previously been denied the right to exit Gaza by Israel.

The organizers said that among the Palestinians were students with valid foreign visas or dual citizenships who had been accepted to universities abroad. Additionally, a Palestinian professor will be leaving to return to teach in Europe, and a young woman will be trying to reunite with her husband abroad.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date : 08-26-2008

(GAZA CITY, 26 August 2008) – The SS Free Gaza and SS Liberty will leave Gaza for Cyprus on Thursday morning at 9:00 am. Several Palestinian students who have been denied exit visas by Israel will travel to Cyprus on the boats. One Palestinian professor will finally be able to go back to teaching in Europe and one young, Palestinian woman will finally be reunited with her husband. Several of the Free Gaza international human rights workers will remain in Gaza to do human rights monitoring.

By freely traveling to Gaza, on Saturday, August 23rd, in two, small, wooden boats, the Free Gaza Movement forced the Israeli government to issue a fundamental policy change regarding their military and economic blockade of Gaza. Until now, Israel has wanted absolute control of Gaza with no responsibility. Israel has managed to maintain this situation, in spite of international law, because its policies have never been challenged.

When the SS Free Gaza and SS Liberty approached the waters of Gaza, the Israeli government had to decide whether it wanted to publicly acknowledge that Israel remains an occupying power in Gaza, in which case Israel would be responsible under international law for its actions, including war crimes. In the face of intense, public scrutiny, Israel instead chose to acknowledge the inherent right of Palestinians to freely engage with the world. The Israeli Ministry of Foreign affairs publicly announced that humanitarian and human rights missions to Gaza will no longer be stopped or threatened by Israel. With the end of the Israeli siege of Gaza, Palestinians are free to exercise their rights without fear of being stopped or killed by the Israeli military.

Since the organizers of the Free Gaza Movement will not be entering Israeli territorial waters, and since they will request an inspection from the Gaza Port Authority, they expect no interference on the part of the Israeli authorities when they leave Gaza. By Israel’s own admission, it has no authority to inspect the boats or the passengers when they leave Gaza.

With the collapse of the Israeli blockade, the Free Gaza Movement will quickly return to Gaza with another delegation, and invites the United Nations, Arab League and international community to organize similar human rights and humanitarian efforts. The Free Gaza Movement will continue to work to ensure the free passage between Gaza and the outside world will remain safe and open.

http://freegaza.org/index.php?module=latest_news&id=78d87fe6...

To all of you who have followed this two-year journey.

Fifty thousand Palestinians lined the walls of the Port of Gaza yesterday as our two wooden boats came into view across the horizon. We've seen the video of our boats flying the flags of 17 nations as well as dozens of Palestinian flags, come over the top of the water and approach. Those of us crowded at the front of the two boats could see everyone lined up waiting for us.

A few hundred meters before we navigated through the small opening into theport, we were met by dozens of fishing boats loaded with people. Little boys jumped in the water to swim around us. We had blown up balloons (yes, they are biodegradable) and dropped them in the water as the young boys swam around catching their trophies. On each red, white, black and green balloon, it said FREE PALESTINE with a dove on it. Those of us who were parents on board held our breath as the swimmers multiplied. I don't know how our two captains managed to lightly pull into the dock amid all of the other boats and people, but they did.

Today, I looked out the window of this beautiful hotel we're staying in, and
there were the boats, and we had really arrived. A sour-faced Israeli
official announced last night that "We have decided to let the boats through this time, but we will look at other trips on a case by case basis." In short, our little group of 40+ human rights workers not only won the right to enter Gaza, but we won the PR battle as well.

There wasn't an Israeli warship in sight. They withdrew everything. In the
30 hours we traveled from Cyprus to Gaza, most of us seasick, the electronic systems jammed, barely able to communicate from boat to boat, we knew we had broken Israel's siege of this small seashore community, perhaps not permanently, but that small hole in the wall is now too large to put a PR finger in to stop the flow of outrage against Israel's policies.

The quay was packed with people.... packed. The video doesn't begin to do it justice. Many literally fell into the boats in an attempt to interview us,
grabbing us by the hand, pulling us in front of cameras. Tony Blair's
sister-in-law was brilliant, the face of the internationals here. Jeff
Halper, the Israeli professor was passionate, all of us were crying. We
could barely catch our breath in the crowd of well-wishers. Mushier Al Fara had tears streaming down his face, "I can finally go visit the grave of my mother." he said.

Palestinian flags were everywhere as was security. Today, if we wanted to go to the boats, we had to be accompanied by several guards in big cars as they drove us down to what they consider a symbol of support. We clearly know that, if anything happens to any of us or to the boats, it will be because Israel has ordered it, one way or the other.

Most of us leave on Tuesday to take one boat back to Cyprus and go home. Nothing that any of us will ever do again in our lives will live up to what we saw yesterday.

Greta Berlin

Reuters has about a dozen nice photos here, click the thumbnail images on the left side of the destination page to view full size:

http://www.reuters.com/news/pictures/articleslideshow?articl...

This blog has some photos after the initial post and some more in the comments section:

http://palestinian.ning.com/forum/topic/show?id=1970466%3ATo...

This page has some Quicktime videos. I'm on a slow connection and can't view them, but here ya go:

http://freegaza.org/index.php?module=latest_news&id=45260f64...

I woke up this morning wondering if it was all a dream. And then I looked through the window and saw the harbor, and the fishing boats, and our two proud lttle boats, the FREE GAZA and the LIBERTY, bobbing gently in the Gaza breeze and I could finally believe we are here!

There are not enough words to describe the feelings we all had as we saw the shores of Gaza appear on our horizon, and then as we got closer and closer we were welcomed by the first of dozens of fishing boats, all crowded with cheering, waving Gazans who had waited since early morning for our arrival. Dozens of them jumped into the water and climbed aboard our boats, cheering and waving and hugging everybody, smiling and telling us "you are welcome." I don't know how so many members of our welcoming committee managed to crowd onto the two piers.... women, men, children, a band playing for us, police trying to control them as more of them jumped into the water to reach us.
It was truly an experience for a lifetime. Surreal. After two years of planning and hoping, and disappointments, and great sadness when our beloved friend Riad was suddenly gone from us. But his spirit is here with us, and many of us wore pink shirts in his memory.

There is so much more to say, but for now this is just to say we have arrived, we are elated, we are humbled, we could not have achieved this without the support of so many friends and strangers who believed in us.

Shukran, and love to all of you.
Mary in Gaza City