Athens/Jerusalem, July 10 (DPA) A ship loaded with aid for Palestinians from a Libyan charity set sail from Greece for the Egyptian port of el-Arish Saturday, forgoing its initial Gaza destination after Israel stepped up pressure against attempts to break its blockade.
The Moldavian-flagged, Greek-owned Amalthia left from Lavrio Saturday afternoon carrying 2,000 tonnes of food and medical aid supplied by the Gaddafi International Charity and Development Association, which is headed by Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi, son of Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi.
The vessel was originally set to sail to the Gaza Strip, but Greek diplomatic sources in Athens confirmed it would travel instead to el-Arish following talks with Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas and Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman.
The Amalthia’s journey is expected to take 70 to 80 hours.
