WASHINGTON | Wed, November 3, 2011 3: 57 pm EDT
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - the United States on Thursday warned that a new initiative by pro-Palestinian activists to send was dangerous a flotilla against Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip and called for US citizens not to participate.
Sail from Turkey put activists on Wednesday aboard the two yachts, medical care. The Israeli army said that it is not allowed to hurt them, their blockade.
In May 2010 nine Turkish activists, including a with dual U.S. Turkish nationality, an Israeli raid on a similar convoy were killed, the relations between Turkey and Israel, both important countries in the region almost torn.
State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Washington was in the Turkish Government on Thursday of the flotilla and spoke also to Israeli officials.
"My sense of which was that given the way this together came, there was an element of surprise for the Turkish Government and our own Government," said Nuland.
She said the United States sought clarification on news report that the flotilla could accompany Turkish warships and said "emphatically" of Turkey, that this was not the case.
"We have clearly to them, we think that would be an extremely bad idea and they have now calmed us, this is not what they do in this case," she said.
Nuland repeatedly U.S. warnings on previous flotilla plans, say that US citizens who support to deliver efforts or other resources, the Hamas threaten possibly civil and criminal penalties. Hamas was officially designated by the United States as a foreign terrorist organization.
MEDITERRANEAN VOLTAGES
The current challenge for Israel's embargo of Gaza, control of the territory is confiscated since Hamas in 2007 by Western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas forces, during a period of tension in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The blockade supported the United States which Israel as necessary, to prevent that weapons in is smuggled into the enclave is considered.
The Palestinians claim that blocking illegal collective punishment.
Turkey was angered Israel's refusal, sorry the Israeli Ambassador for the May 2010-RAID and two months ago sold. Turkey has also increased its naval presence in the Eastern Mediterranean, and expressed disappointment at the conclusions of the UN investigation of the incident.
The 27 activists on ships of the Canadian and Irish came from Australia, Canada, Ireland and the United States, and contain Palestinians and at least an Israeli Arab citizens, according to the Organizer. Turkey has stressed that the ships were not Turkish flagged, had no Turkish passengers and the commanders were not Turkish.
Israel has offered, unload all supplies and to supply to Gaza. Israel permits humanitarian aid, food and other supplies to enter Gaza for its 1.5 million people, many of them impoverished refugees overland crossings, which closely monitors it. Gaza has also a border with Egypt, who were to be imported.
(Editing by doina Matei)
0 comments:
Post a Comment