Novo confronto à vista ao largo de Gaza

O navio irlandês "Rachel Corrie" está a pouco mais de 134 milhas (215 quilómetros) da zona de exclusão (20 milhas) determinada por Israel. Clique para aceder ao índice do dossiê Nova crise em Gaza

Um cargueiro irlandês com ajuda humanitária deverá voltar a tentar, amanhã de manhã (sábado), furar o bloqueio imposto por Israel à Faixa de Gaza, informou uma activista pró-palestiniana. Ontem, o primeiro-ministro israelita já garantiu que a embarcação não alcançará terra.

A acontecer, será a segunda vez esta semana que embarcações com ajuda humanitária serão impedidas de descarregar no porto de Gaza. Na segunda-feira, uma frota composta por seis navios foi alvo de uma operação militar israelita da qual resultaram nove mortos.

Em declarações a partir de Nicósia (capital do Chipre), a porta-voz da organização Libertem Gaza, Greta Berlin, confirmou à agência norte-americana Associated Press (AP) que o navio "Rachel Corrie" (de 1.200 toneladas) se dirige para Gaza e que não faz intenção de parar.

"Ficaremos sentados"

Entre os 11 passageiros encontra-se a Prémio Nobel da Paz, Mairead McGuire, e o antigo responsável na ONU pelo Programa Petróleo por Alimentos no Iraque, Denis Halliday.

Contactada pela AP, Mairead McGuire disse que não irão resistir aos militares israelitas, caso estes decidam voltar a intervir.

"Ficaremos sentados. Provavelmente seremos presos, mas não resistiremos", afirmou McGuire.

Entretanto, o primeiro-ministro israelita, Benjamin Netanyahu, já informou os seus ministros de que o navio será impedido de atracar em Gaza. O chefe do governo terá feito diversas propostas à tripulação para descarregarem num porto israelita de onde as mercadorias, depois de inspeccionadas, seriam transportadas por terra para Gaza. Até ao momento, tais propostas foram rejeitadas.

AP

Israel ameaça navio irlandês que recusa desviar-se da rota para Gaza

O Exército israelita ameaça abordar o navio irlandês Rachel Corrie no caso de a embarcação se recusar a desviar a rota para o porto de Ashod, em Israel, e continuar a dirigir-se para a Faixa de Gaza. Transportando 15 pessoas, de nacionalidade irlandesa e da Malásia, o navio Rachel Corrie leva mil toneladas de ajuda humanitária a bordo, segundo os organizadores da viagem.

"Os nossos soldados irão abordar o navio se recusarem mudar a vossa rota", declarou o porta-voz da Armada israelita, Avital Leibovitch, numa mensagem de rádio enviada à tripulação do barco irlandês.

"Estamos prontos para usar as nossas armas para nos defender se for necessário", disse o porta-voz, citado pela rádio pública.

Segundo o Exército israelita, o Rachel Corrie não respondeu às mensagens de rádio em que lhe foi pedido para desviar a rota para o porto israelita de Ashdod, continuando a dirigir-se para o território palestiniano de Gaza.

As autoridades israelitas têm repetidamente afirmado a intenção de impedir o acesso do navio irlandês ao porto de Gaza.

O Exército israelita abordou, na segunda feira, em águas internacionais os navios que integravam a Frota de Liberdade, num ataque em que morreram oito ativistas turcos e um americano de origem turca. Dezenas de pessoas ficaram ainda feridas.

O ataque provocou a condenação da comunidade internacional e o Conselho de Direitos Humanos da ONU aprovou uma resolução para a realização de um inquérito sobre o incidente, o que Israel já repudiou.

Lusa

Ashdod, Israel (CNN) -- Israeli naval commandos seized an Irish-owned aid ship headed for Gaza Saturday morning, officials said.
The Israel military said it boarded the ship by sea with the compliance of the crew 35 kilometers (22 miles) off the Gaza coast.
The ship was being towed to Ashdod, Israel, where its cargo will be offloaded and screened, the military said. No helicopters were used, the military said.
Free Gaza movement spokeswoman Mary Hughes said the passengers of the MV Rachel Corrie were unharmed.
"This is unacceptable to be happening in international waters," she said.
Earlier Saturday, the Israeli military said it had warned the ship's crew not to try and break its naval blockade of Gaza.
A crew member on board who spoke to CNN Saturday before the ship was boarded said three Israeli ships were following the MV Rachel Corrie, a cargo ship bound for Gaza in defiance of an Israeli blockade.
"You are approaching an area of hostilities which is under a naval blockade," the Israeli Navy said via radio transmission, according to a statement from the Israeli military.
"The Gaza area, coastal region and Gaza Harbor are closed to all maritime traffic. The Israeli government supports delivery of humanitarian supplies to the civilian population in the Gaza Strip and invites you to enter the Ashdod port."
The ship's approach came five days after violence erupted when Israeli forces boarded another ship attempting to break the Israeli blockade, leading to the deaths of nine people on board.
Q&A: Aid and Israel's Gaza blockade
Israel had offered to unload the vessel's cargo in Ashdod, screen the material and deliver it to Gaza, but passengers aboard the ship rejected that offer, according to a statement from Micheal Martin, Ireland's minister for foreign affairs.
The 19 people aboard the vessel -- which is owned by the Free Gaza Movement -- include activists and crew members who were determined to reach Gaza, passengers told CNN Friday.
"We're not prepared to turn around," said Irish Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mairead Maguire, who is aboard the ship. "We are prepared to go straight to Gaza."
"We will stay within the international waters," said Maguire. "If Israel refuses that we get into Gaza and insists on boarding our boat, then we will sit down as non-violent activists. We will be very peaceful. We will not resist the Israeli navy coming aboard, arresting us and taking us by force to [the Israeli port city of ] Ashdod, but we will not turn around. We will keep going."
Organizers said the ship was carrying 550 tons of cement to help rebuild schools, homes and other buildings destroyed in Gaza.
Maguire said the ship was also carrying "tons" of writing materials donated by Norway, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment -- including wheelchairs donated by Scotland -- and toys.
Former Assistant U.N. Secretary-General Denis Halliday, also aboard the Rachel Corrie, said Thursday the passengers had no plans to confront the Israelis.
"We will stand back and show we are harmless and unarmed -- we will put up no resistance," he said. "We're not going to make any silly mistakes."
Israel said its naval blockade is in place to stop weaponry from reaching militants in Gaza intent on attacking Israel.
"If, as is their stated intention, the Israeli government intercepts the Rachel Corrie, the government demands that it demonstrate every restraint," said Martin. He called on Israel to lift its blockade.
In Monday's incident, nine Turkish citizens were killed after violence erupted on one of six ships in a flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza. A number of other people were wounded.
Israel said the passengers initiated the attack; the passengers said it was the troops who initiated it.
The violence has sparked official and grassroots rage in governments and streets inside and outside the Middle East.
At a weekly anti-Israeli wall protest in the West Bank village of Bil'in, demonstrators flashed peace signs and waved Turkish flags as they marched beside a protest boat on wheels, which they said was a symbol of solidarity with those killed on the Gaza flotilla.
Israel's military responded with tear gas and took control of the land-locked boat. The boat was eventually released.
Turkish President Abdullah Gul said Thursday that the incident "left an irreparable and deep scar" in once-close Turkish-Israeli ties.
At the United Nations, the Security Council called for an inquiry into the flotilla raid and the Human Rights Council voted for a probe, but Israel said it alone -- and not an international entity -- should be investigating.
The Israel Defense Forces military advocate general said Israel's interception of the flotilla was legal because international law allows a country to stop a vessel in international waters if it attempts to breach a naval blockade -- even before such a blockade is breached.
"We're just hopeful the Israelis will let us make a small gesture for the people of Palestine," Halliday said Thursday. "Because we believe Monday was a gross error."
He added that Monday's confrontation resulted from "faults on both sides," saying the effort on the Rachel Corrie is a "different ball game."
The MV Rachel Corrie was named for a 23-year-old American woman who was killed in Gaza in 2003 while attempting to keep IDF forces from bulldozing the home of a Palestinian.

CNN's Matthew Chance, Paula Hancocks, Paul Colsey and Ivan Watson contributed to this report.