Iran retracted its intention to send aid ships to the Gaza Strip and stated that Israel’s illegal siege on the coastal region and its illegal measures are the cause for sending solidarity ship. Yet, an Iranian official stated that aid will be sent to Gaza through other means.Hussein Sheikh al-Islam, the secretary-general of the International Conference For Supporting The Palestinian Intifada, stated that the ships were supposed to sail to Gaza Thursday and were delayed until Sunday, “but now, due to Israeli restrictions, the ships will not be sailing, but we will send aid through other means”.
He did not elaborate on the alternate means, but only stated that there are numerous Israeli restrictions on the entry of goods and medical supplies into Gaza.
The Iranian News Agency reported that Sheikh al-Islam added that Israel is using this issue, and the attempts to break the siege, as a means to gain political support, adding that Iran does not want to grant Israel any chance to market its policies.
He said that Israel sent a letter to the United Nations considering Iranian and Lebanese aid ships as an indication of war against it, and that Israel vowed to attack the ships should they decide to sail all the way to Gaza.
“In order to avoid giving Israel any excuses, aid supplies will be sent to Gaza through other means”, Sheikh al-Islam said, “Israel does not respect the international law, the humanitarian law, and acts in a violent and brutal way against any attempt to send humanitarian supplies to Gaza”.
