BICOM

In a telephone call with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday, Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou offered to ferry the humanitarian aid to Gaza in cooperation with the United Nations. The Greek offer is seen as a compromise to solve the flotilla situation where pro-Palestinian activists are attempting to set sail and break Israel’s maritime blockade. According to the Greek proposal, the humanitarian aid will be loaded onto a Greek government ship and transferred to Gaza under the supervision of Greece and the UN, as per a request by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. The ship will go via the Israeli port of Ashdod or the Egyptian port of Arish before arriving in Gaza.

PA President Mahmoud Abbas expressed his support for the offer and Israel has agreed in principle to the Greek initiative according to Haaretz. “The initiative is likely to give everyone a way out, including the flotilla organisers, and allow everyone to feel as though they got part of what they wanted,” an Israeli Foreign Ministry source said. However, the organisers of the flotilla have rejected the offer by Athens.

Last Friday the Greek government issued an order banning the ships from sailing to Gaza, and later detained the captain of the US-flagged Audacity of Hope after he tried leaving port without clearance from the Greek authorities. The ship was carrying 51 passengers, including five members of the crew and 11 journalists.

Due to the chance that the ships might still set sail, the Israel Navy continues to maintain a state of readiness, in case it is needed to stop ships from reaching Gaza.