Norway cautions activists against sailing to Gaza

October 18, 2012 04:25 pm | Updated November 28, 2021 09:36 pm IST - OSLO, Norway

Norway’s foreign ministry has cautioned a ship with pro-Palestinian activists and Nordic lawmakers from trying to break an Israeli naval blockade of the Gaza strip to deliver humanitarian goods.

Spokesman Svein Michelsen says that Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide regards the mission as inherently dangerous and that activists risk being exploited by groups they would not want to support. The minister believes that there is no humanitarian crisis that would warrant such a delivery.

Activists said on Thursday that the minister’s comments would change nothing and that the ship was expected to arrive in Gaza on Saturday morning.

The Estelle is carrying medical, sports and musical equipment, as well as children’s books. Five European lawmakers two from Greece and one from each Spain, Norway and Sweden are on board.

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