'Israel won't allow Iran ships to Gaza'

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=129515§ionid=351020101



After Iran announced it would send ships loaded with humanitarian aid to Gaza, Israel said it would not allow any Iranian ships to enter the coastal sliver.

Iran's Red Crescent Director Abdolraoof Adibzadeh said Monday that two Iranian aid ships carrying "food and medical supplies" for the people of Gaza will set sail for the coastal sliver in the coming week.

"Iran is also preparing to dispatch a navy hospital ship for the people of Gaza, which will have onboard doctors, nurses and all the medical equipment required for emergency surgeries and procedures," Adibzadeh added.

Israel was quick to react to Iran's announcement with an Israeli diplomatic official saying that no Iranian ship will be allowed to Gaza, the Jerusalem Post reported.

"If we didn't let an Irish ship reach Gaza, we are certainly not going to let Iranian ships pass," the official said on Monday.

The official further pointed out that "any shipment from Iran to Gaza would be a major concern," claiming that Iran had a record of supplying Hamas and Hezbollah with weapons.

Iran's decision to dispatch relief supplies comes after Israel's military attacked the Freedom Flotilla in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea early on May 31.

The vessel was carrying thousands of tons of aid supplies and hundreds of humanitarian activists to the coastal strip.

The attack resulted in the death of 20 and the injury of more then 50 others.

A three-year Israeli blockade of Gaza has deprived the territories' 1.5 million residents of food, fuel, and other necessities.