Gaza activists fear Israeli sabotage of anti-siege bid

0 Comments | AFP, August, 2008

NICOSIA (AFP) — Activists who plan to break the blockade of the poverty-stricken Palestinian territory of the Gaza Strip from the sea said on Monday they fear Israel may try to scupper the venture.

Two sailing boats carrying 40 activists are set to sail from Cyprus 370 kilometres (230 miles) to the north in a bid to break the Israeli siege, but organisers are keeping the logistics to themselves for security reasons.

"We have a fear that Israel will do something here to sabotage the trip," Greta Berlin, a spokeswoman for the US-based Free Gaza Movement, told reporters in Cyprus.

"The only thing being kept a secret is the location of the boats because of what Israel has done in the past -- they don't want us to go."

In 1988 a ferry planning to return...