Page last updated at 09:39 GMT, Saturday, 10 July 2010 10:39 UK
Israel has stepped up its attempts to stop an aid ship breaking its
blockade of Gaza, sending a letter to the UN and engaging Greece
and Moldova in talks.
The Moldovan-flagged ship, Amalthea, chartered by a charity run
by the son of Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi, was due to
leave the Greek port of Lavrio on Saturday.
Israel said it now believed the ship would not reach Gaza.
An Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound ship in May killed nine Turkish
activists.
Israel insisted its troops were defending themselves but the raid
sparked international condemnation. Israel recently eased its
blockade, allowing in almost all consumer goods but maintaining
a "blacklist" of some items.
Israel says its blockade of the Palestinian territory is needed to
prevent the supply of weapons to the Hamas militant group
which controls Gaza.
The foreign ministry believes that due to these talks, the ship
will not reach Gaza
Israel has been engaged in intense diplomatic activity to
prevent the Amalthea, renamed Hope for the mission, reaching
Gaza.
A foreign ministry statement said that Foreign Minister Avigdor
Lieberman had spoken with his Greek and Moldovan
counterparts on the issue.
The statement said: "The foreign ministry believes that due to
these talks, the ship will not reach Gaza."
Ministry officials quoted by the Israeli news source Haaretz said
that if the ship did sail it would travel instead to the Egyptian
port of el-Arish.
Israel also lobbied the UN to take action.
Israel's UN ambassador Gabriela Shalev said in a letter: "Israel
calls upon the international community to exert its influence on
the government of Libya to demonstrate responsibility and
prevent the ship from departing to the Gaza Strip."
Ms Shalev also warned: "Israel reserves the right under
international law to prevent this ship from violating the existing
naval blockade on the Gaza Strip."
She said the motives of the operators were "questionable and
provocative".
'Expressing solidarity'
The Amalthea is being loaded with about 2,000 tonnes of food,
cooking oil, medicines and pre-fabricated houses.
It has been chartered by the Gaddafi International Charity and
Development Foundation. Its chairman is Saif al-Islam Gaddafi.
The organisation said the 92m (302ft) vessel would also carry
"a number of supporters who are keen on expressing solidarity
with the Palestinian people."
The BBC's Malcolm Brabant in Lavrio says the Libyans clearly
believe the time is right to test Israel's resolve to maintain the
naval blockade.
Charity director Yousef Sawani said: "We are doing what we
can, this is our responsibility. If everyone says 'we will not allow
this', nothing will happen and the people of Gaza will continue
under starvation."
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