UN happy over the 'peaceful completion' of flotilla

The UN welcomed the “peaceful completion” of the confrontation between the Israeli army and activists on the Freedom Flotilla, the Anadolu Agency reported the deputy spokesman for UN secretary-general Farhan Haq saying yesterday.

Israel intercepted the first ship in the five boat fleet approximately 100 nautical miles off the Gaza coast at dawn yesterday. The flotilla aimed to break the eight-year Israeli siege on Gaza.

The ship was towed to the Israeli seaport of Ashdod and the activists were detained, investigated and a large number of them were deported.

Haq added that the UN is looking into where the boat was interception but was happy that the event passed non-violently.

Earlier, Rima Khalaf, executive secretary of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), strongly criticised the Israeli interception of the Marianne of Gothenburg “during its way to Gaza as part of European efforts to break the eight-year siege imposed on it.”

In 2010, the Israeli navy stormed the Turkish Mavi Marmara, which was partaking in the first Freedom Flotilla to break the siege on Gaza, killing nine activists.