Thursday 20100527 – In early May of this year, John Ging, Head of United Nation's Relief and Works Agency in the Gaza Strip, said: "We recommend the world send ships to the shores of Gaza, and we believe that Israel would not stop these vessels because the sea is open, and many human rights organizations have been successful in previous similar steps, and proved that breaking the siege on Gaza is possible."

Currently eight ships from several nations including Turkey are doing just that. These ships, the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, have as their goal to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Israel has said that it will not allow this current flotilla to reach Gaza, and it will use military means if necessary to stop the ships.  The flotilla with some 700 passengers is the largest yet attempt to break the Israeli-imposed embargo on the Gaza Strip.  The participants will bring with them some 10,000 tons of various products for the residents of the Strip.

It is scheduled to arrive in Gaza waters sometime Saturday afternoon, one organizer, Ewa Jasiewicz of the international Free Gaza movement and a British-Polish national, told dpa from aboard one of the vessels, The Challenger.

The ships are sailing from Istanbul and other ports from Ireland to Greece and plan to meet up in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea early Saturday, she said.  The Turkish government officially demanded that Israel not intercept or obstruct the Freedom Flotilla, a convoy of ships attempting to bring humanitarian supplies to the Gaza Strip. Turkey is requesting that Israel stop its threats against the Flotilla and the activists on board. Turkey is one of the nations most involved with the Freedom Flotilla. The government in Istanbul has demanded that Israel lift its illegal siege on Gaza.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu stated during a press conference after a UN meeting that his government is in constant talks with Israel regarding the Flotilla.

He added that Israel must act in order to decrease tension, and lift the siege on Gaza.

Davutoğlu said that he believes Israel will use its “wisdom” in dealing with the situation in Gaza and the humanitarian flotilla on its way there.

He added that urgent aid must reach Gaza, and that the countries participating in the Flotilla must act to to ensure that aid makes its way to the Gazan coast.