Israel Tells Iran Aid Ship For Gaza To Leave

The ship was carrying 200 tonnes of foodstuff and medicine `for distribution among the blockaded people of Gaza.`

An Israeli warship ordered an Iranian vessel carrying humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza to leave the area on Wednesday, an Iranian official said.

Israel, which has in the past accused Iran of supplying arms to Hamas, the Islamist group which controls Gaza, confirmed it had turned an Iranian ship away.

"An Israeli naval ship approached it and said by radio the area was under naval blockade and that the ship would not be permitted to enter the port," an Israeli military spokesman said.

Tehran says it gives only moral, financial and humanitarian support to Hamas and Iranian state radio has said the ship was carrying 200 tonnes of foodstuff and medicine "for distribution among the blockaded people of Gaza".

"(The Iranian ship) is now 45 miles away from Gaza and an hour ago, again, we received a warning from Israeli warships to leave the region," the head of Iran's Red Crescent, Massoud Khatami, was quoted as saying by semi-official Fars News Agency.

"If these warnings continue we will change our route from Gaza to the (Egyptian) port of el-Arish," he said.

Ahmad Navvab, described by Iranian media as the ship's director on board, on Tuesday said the aid may be delivered via Egypt and the Rafah border crossing if the ship could not reach Gaza. Egypt is the only Arab state bordering Gaza.

Iran has condemned Israel's attack on Gaza.

Last week it said it was ready to treat those wounded in Israel's assault and wanted to set up a field hospital nearby on Egyptian territory. Iran has also said it had landed a plane in Egypt with aid and wanted to send more.

Egypt sometimes allows wounded people and medical supplies through its border with Gaza but the Rafah crossing has been closed to ordinary traffic since Hamas seized control there in 2007.

Iran does not recognise Israel's right to exist and does not have full relations with Egypt, the first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel. Iranian hardliners have accused Egypt of not doing enough to help Gaza's Palestinians.

Another boat, carrying activists, doctors, aid workers and European parliamentarians, sailed for Gaza from Cyprus with medical supplies for Gaza on Wednesday.

"We have been told that the Israeli navy will not let us pass, and should that be the case our intention is to non-violently resist. We are unarmed civilians," said Mary Hughes, a member of the Free Gaza Movement.