A Libyan-chartered ship carrying aid for Palestinians reached an Egyptian port today after altering its course following a warning from Israel's navy away not to head to the blockaded Gaza Strip.
An Egyptian official said the Moldovan-flagged Amalthea arrived in El Arish, on Egypt's Mediterranean coast about 45km south of the border with Gaza, in mid-evening and would begin unloading cargo.
"Medical supplies and passengers will enter Gaza through the Rafah border (crossing), while food will enter through the Awja border," said Captain Gamal Abdel Maqsoud, who is in charge of the port.
He said Egypt's Red Crescent would be responsible for taking the goods over both borders and had trucks waiting in El Arish.
Earlier today, the Libyan charity that chartered the ship to deliver aid to Gaza said today it had decided to change course and dock in the Egyptian port.
Israel's navy had warned the ship away from Gaza, which is under the rule of Islamist Hamas and subject to an Israeli blockade.
The Moldovan-flagged Amalthea had been trailed by warships, an Israeli official said earlier today. Israel had vowed to turn away or seize the Amalthea - renamed "Hope" by activists - rather than let it access Gaza, whose Islamist Hamas rulers the Jewish state wants isolated.
Hamas prime minister Ismail Haniyeh urged the activists not to let their cargo ship be diverted from Gaza's shore and called in a speech for more pro-Palestinian "freedom flotillas".
"The sea and land convoys must continue," he said. "We hope we can depend on Islamic nations to help us lift the blockade."
The Israelis are mindful of international censure simmering since their commandos killed nine Turks while boarding another Gaza-bound aid ship in Mediterranean high seas on May 31st.
The worldwide outcry at the bloodshed aboard the Turkish-flagged Mavi Marmara prompted Israel to ease overland trade with Gaza. But it kept the sea blockade, citing a risk of arms shipments to Hamas.
"Anyone who wants to bring materials there which are not dangerous materials - munitions, etcetera - can bring them through El Arish, can bring them through the Israeli port of Ashdod," deputy prime minister Dan Meridor told Israel Radio. "What we want is to set the arrangement for inspections, so we can always check and not allow them to bust their way in."
Egypt said late yesterday the Amalthea had requested and been granted permission to dock in El Arish, and that authorities planned to transfer its declared haul of 2,000 tonnes of food and medicine overland to neighbouring Gaza.
Unlike Libya, Egypt has full ties with Israel, and it has placed clampdowns on its own border with the Palestinian strip. A charity chaired by Saif al-Islam Gadafy - son of Libyan leader Muammar Gadafy - chartered the Amalthea and yesterday insisted it would hold course to Gaza.
Reuters