By Palestine Telegraph – 4 May 2010
www.paltelegraph.com/palestine/west-bank/5786-ging-demands-international-community-to-break-gazas-siege
John Ging, head of the United Nation’s Relief and Work Agency “UNRWA”, demanded the international community to lift the siege on the Gaza Strip through the provision of a sea route and sending ships to break the siege.
Ging said in an interview with a Norwegian newspaper, “ The international community must shoulder its responsibility on this issue, and Look for practical ways to break the siege leaving the statements aside, because there is a possibility to break the siege.”
“We recommend the world to send ships to the shores of Gaza, and we believe that Israel would not stop these vessels because the sea is open, and many human rights organizations have been successful in previous similar steps, and proved that breaking the siege on Gaza is possible,” said Ging.
Ging shouldered both Egypt and Israel the responsibility for the continuation of the blockade on Gaza, asking” How can Israel evade the responsibility of the siege, and how Egypt would not agree to show flexibility in order to bring aid to Gaza? “He added,” It is time for the international community to bring aid by sea as it did in Haiti. ”
As for Israel, many political levels in Israel were surprised upon hearing these statements, and expressed the belief that this unprecedented and very serious.
Israeli sources in Jerusalem confirmed that Israel would make an official objection to the United Nations to clarify how can the official representative of the United Nations call for European countries to send ships illegally into Gaza without authorization and without prior coordination with Israel. The Hebrew radio said that the a number of official organizations took Ging’s statements seriously and began to prepare to send ships carrying food supplies to Gaza.