Gaza Flotilla Facts

clipped from action.aipac.org On May 31, the Israel Defense Forces intercepted six ships, known as the “Free Gaza” flotilla. The flotilla attempted to break Israel’s blockade of the Hamas‐controlled Gaza Strip. Despite claiming its primary aim was to deliver humanitarian aid, in reality, its objective was to provoke Israel and incite international scrutiny on the blockade. The flotilla was sponsored by the Turkish Humanitarian Relief Foundation—an organization tied to various Islamic terrorist groups including Hamas and al‐Qaeda. Israel’s interception of the ships—and the deaths of nine individuals, including some radicals with ties to terrorist groups—have garnered tremendous media attention and international condemnation. As Israel faces increasing international criticism, members of Congress are speaking out in support of Israel's right to self defense. PLEASE CLICK HERE to email your Senators and House members to urge them to speak out in support of Israel's right to self defense today.

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Helsinki Principles: Israel Was in the Right

Click the link to read more.

clipped from www.israelnationalnews.com A perusal of  The Helsinki Principles on the Law of Maritime Neutrality, a basis for international law on the subject, shows that Israel was well within its prescriptions in forcibly stopping the Gaza-bound flotilla. The relevant clauses in the Helsinki Principles read as follows: 5.1.1 Neutral ships in belligerent ports A neutral ship in a belligerent port enjoys the same protection against attacks as civilian objects in land warfare… Neutral warships in belligerent ports retain their right of self-defense. 5.1.2 Protection against attacks (3) Merchant ships flying the flag of a neutral State may be attacked if they are believed on reasonable grounds to be carrying contraband or breaching a blockade, and after prior warning they intentionally and clearly refuse to stop, or intentionally and clearly resist visit, search, capture or diversion. (4) Merchant ships flying the flag of a neutral State may be attacked if they

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IDF: Hamas stops flotilla aid delivered by Israel

clipped from www.cnn.com Jerusalem (CNN) -- Israel has attempted to deliver humanitarian aid from an international flotilla to Gaza, but Hamas -- which controls the territory -- has refused to accept the cargo, the Israel Defense Forces said Wednesday. Palestinian sources confirmed that trucks that arrived from Israel at the Rafah terminal at the Israel-Gaza border were barred from delivering the aid. Israel said it had 20 trucks of aid found on the ships, such as expired medications, clothing, blankets, some medical equipment and toys. Israel has released all foreign flotilla detainees by Wednesday, but four Israeli Arabs remain in custody. Under Israeli policy, humanitarian aid must come through Israel and be checked by Israeli authorities who are looking to intercept smuggled weapons bound for militants aiming to attack Israel. As part of this policy Israel forbids ships from dropping off goods at Gaza ports and works to thwart smuggling via tunnels between Gaza and Egypt.

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Image by Getty Images via Daylife

The UN says more than 130,000 people have now been relocated out of Port-au-Prince by the authorities, easing the pressure on overcrowded camps in the city. Others have left independently.

With the search-and-rescue phase officially over, international groups are focused on humanitarian efforts, with aid workers still struggling to get food, water and other supplies to all those in need.

"The aid we have available... is being pushed out," Lt Gen Ken Keen, commander of the US military operation in Haiti, told Reuters news agency.

"But the need is tremendous. Every day is a better day than yesterday. Tomorrow will be a better day than the day before."

clipped from news.bbc.co.uk Haiti capital earthquake death toll 'tops 150,000' The confirmed death toll from Haiti's devastating earthquake has risen above 150,000 in the Port-au-Prince area alone, a government minister has said. Many more remain uncounted under rubble in the capital and elsewhere, including the towns of Jacmel and Leogane. The search for survivors has officially ended and the focus has shifted to aid. But a 24-year-old man was pulled alive from the remains of a hotel in the capital on Saturday after 11 days under the rubble, in what rescuers described as "a miracle". He later told reporters that soft drinks and snacks had kept him going. A French medic said he could expect to leave hospital within a day or two. "Nobody knows how many bodies are buried in the rubble - 200,000, 300,000? Who knows the overall death toll?" the Associated Press quotes her as saying on Sunday.

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More troops, aid go to Haiti, but hunger persists - Yahoo! News

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

• More troops, aid go to Haiti, but hunger persists - Yahoo! News

  "PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – Troops, doctors and aid workers flowed into Haiti on Monday even while victims of the quake that killed an estimated 200,000 people still struggled to find a cup of water or a handful of food. European nations pledged more than a half-billion dollars in emergency and long-term aid, on top of at least $100 million promised earlier by the U.S. But help was still not reaching many victims of Tuesday's quake — choked back by transportation bottlenecks, bureaucratic confusion, fear of attacks on aid convoys, the collapse of local authority and the sheer scale of the need. Looting spread to more parts of downtown Port-au-Prince as hundreds of young men and boys clambered up broken walls to break into shops and take whatever they can find. Especially prized was toothpaste, which people smear under their noses to fend off the stench of decaying bodies. At a collapsed and burning shop in the market area, youths used broken bottles, machetes and razors to battle for bottles of rum and police fired shots to break up the crowd. "I am drinking as much as I can. It gives courage," said Jean-Pierre Junior, wielding a broken wooden plank with nails to protect his bottle of rum. Even so, the U.S. Army's on-the-ground commander, Lt. Gen. Ken Keen, said the city is seeing less violence than before the earthquake. "Is there gang violence? Yes. Was there gang violence before the earthquake? Absolutely."' Keen said some 2,000 Marines were set to join 1,000 U.S. troops on the ground and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced Monday he wants 1,500 more U.N. police and 2,000 more troops to join the existing 7,000 military peacekeepers and 2,100 international police in Haiti."

  tags: haiti, persists, hunger, earthquake

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

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