By Xinhua,
Gaza City : Thousands of Palestinians started whistling and screaming on Saturday afternoon when two “Free Gaza” boats with peace activists arrived at Gaza City’s fishermen harbor in protest against Israeli siege.
Flags of different countries, including Turkey, Germany, France, Cyprus, Britain, Lebanon and Greece, were seen fluttering on the two boats, which set off Friday from Cyprus. Slogan “Freedom for Gaza” and “We are coming” are written on one of the boats.
While approaching Gaza beach, the two boats released 5,000 balloons of four colors of black, red, green and white, which are the colors of the Palestinian flag.
Each of the balloons bears the slogan of “Free Palestine” and a drawing of the pigeon of peace, while several Palestinian flags fluttered on the two boats.
Several peace activists, a Holocaust survival and the sister-in-law of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair are on board. The two boats also carry medical hearing aids for deaf Palestinian children.
The cheerful Palestinians warmly welcomed the “Free Gaza” boats after Israel finally decided to let them cross into Gazan water.
Several local Gaza fishing boats received the two “Free Gaza” vessels, and dozens of children and adults jumped into the two vessels to welcome the visitors.
Jamal al-Khodari, head of the Popular Committee to end the siege, got on one boat to receive the visitors. He said “Welcome to Gaza and thank you for breaking the blockade.”
He told reporters, “This is a great moment to see people supporting our cause to show solidarity with us and to tell the world a message that the unfair siege imposed on the Gaza Strip should end very soon.”
The visitors on the two boats are expected to be received by deposed Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haneya as well as leaders of Hamas movement that has been ruling the Gaza Strip since mid-June last year.
Haneya also called on Arab leaders to send boats and vessels through the sea to Gaza to break the Israeli blockade, which has been imposed on the strip since Hamas took control of the enclave.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who is currently in Ramallah in the West Bank, also telephoned the visitors and praised that the visit to Gaza is a first step to end the blockade on the Palestinian territories.