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Free Gaza Movemebt boats in Crete on their way to Gaza Strip (Photo: Free Gaza)

A storm has delayed two boats, carrying 40 pro-Palestinian activists, from sailing to Gaza according to the Free Gaza Movement, which organized the vessels. The ships left Nicosia, Cyprus on August 7 and arrived in Chania, Crete, on Saturday, August 9,

The activists (now waiting for clear weather to set sail) and their families back home, are receiving anonymous threats, claiming that the ships will be blown up or destroyed, killing all on board.

Human rights observers, aid workers, and journalists who make up the Free Gaza Movement plan to break the siege in Gaza. Forty passengers from 16 countries are transporting badly needed medicine, hearing aids and other humanitarian supplies on sailing ships named Free Gaza, and Liberty (in honor of the 34 Americans killed aboard the USS Liberty when Israel attacked the American ship during the Six-Day War in 1967).

More than 170 prominent individuals and organizations have endorsed Free Gaza efforts, including the Carter Center, former British Cabinet member Claire Short, and Nobel Peace Prize laureates Mairead Maguire and Desmond Tutu.

So far the U.S. media is ignoring this story.

To keep up with the ships' progress, see photos, read the passengers' interesting blogs, or donate to help this vital mission succeed, please visit their Web site: www.freegaza.org.

To read Amos Harel's article "Israel may use force to halt boat trying to break Gaza siege" in Haaretz see: www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1012171.html

The Free Gaza Movement hopes to draw attention to the devastating consequences of the Israeli blockade by actively demonstrating the power of non-violent direct action to change inhumane governmental policies.

For more information, please contact:

Greta Berlin, Cyprus
+357 99 081 767
Iristulip (at) gmail.com

Angela Godfry-Goldstein, Israel
+972 547 366 393
Angela (at) icahd.org