Greek Coast Guard boards US boat to Gaza (h/t: The Jawa Report)

JPost: ‘Hamas leader is brain behind Dutch flotilla’

Hamas leader from Holland Amin Abu Rashid has been seen in recent days training with a Gaza-bound flotilla crew in Greece, according to a report by Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf on Thursday.

Rashid, described as the “brain” behind the flotilla, helped arrange the purchasing of the Dutch boat expected to be used in the expedition, De Telegraaf reported.

Rashid also allegedly organized the majority of the funding for the flotilla, the report said.
[…]
“The participation of Hamas member Amin Abu Rashid in the flotilla, who is known for fundraising money for Hamas terror operations, is clear proof that this is not a humanitarian flotilla, but a provocation and a terror operation in disguise of a flotilla,” Edelstein said. [emphasis added]

“In the previous flotilla, Abu Rashid expressed his intentions to clash with IDF soldiers and we must take into account that this will be his intention in the current flotilla. Israel is prepared for every scenario and the world’s countries must now reinforce the country seven-fold,” the minister added.

Activist flotilla stopped in Greece

ATHENS — An activists’ flotilla, including a Canadian vessel, that is trying to breach the Israeli sea blockade of Gaza Strip has been stopped in Greece.

Coast guard officials in the country intercepted one of the flotilla’s vessels Friday after it tried to defy a Greek ban on boats sailing to Gaza.

The Audacity of Hope, a U.S. vessel, sailed without warning, leaving behind nine other boats that were supposed to be taking part in the protest.

It was quickly intercepted by a coast guard boat with six masked, armed men on board.
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As the news spread Friday that the U.S. boat had been stopped, activists slammed what they called an “out-sourcing of Israeli foreign policy.”

The group behind the Canadian ship that’s part of the flotilla, the Tahrir, issued a statement on its website, saying their vessel was now blockaded in Greece.

“We have been unjustly and duplicitously treated.” said Irene MacInnes of the Tahrir organizing committee, in an online statement.

“The government of Israel, shamefully with the tacit support of the Harper government, is doing everything in its power to maintain the blockade.”

“Israel has in effect extended the illegal blockade of Gaza to Greek ports, using the Greece’s economic difficulties to influence the government’s position”, said David Heap of the organizing committee.

Activists also blamed Israel for the sabotage of two of their boats and for a campaign of harassment and dirty tricks against activists.

Israel has flatly rejected accusations of skulduggery as “paranoid.” A foreign ministry spokesman accused the activists of “living in a James Bond film.”

But Israeli has repeatedly said it is determined to stop the flotilla and on Thursday urged defiant organizers not to create “new friction” in the region.

Flotilla activists’ called for Greece to resist Israel’s diplomatic pressure.

But on Friday, the Greek coast guard announced that the Gaza-bound mission could not leave their ports — at least for the moment.

“The departure of ships with Greek and foreign flags from Greek ports to the maritime area of Gaza has been prohibited today,” the coast guard said in a statement, an hour before the ship set sail.

“All appropriate measures” should be taken to implement the ban, it said.

When the Audacity tried to break the ban, they were quickly intercepted and escorted back to Keratsini port Friday evening, said a spokesperson for the activists.

“Six masked men on a Greek coast guard boat came up along side and pointed their weapons at the passengers,” said Jane Hirschmann, forcing the captain to turn back “for the safety of everyone on board.”

Activists on the other boats meanwhile would not say if they too would try to defy the authorities and break for the open seas later Friday or early Saturday.
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More here.