Greens condemn Israel's boarding of aid ship to Gaza

The Green Party have called for the Israeli government to immediately release humanitarians from several countries detained, reportedly in international waters, while bringing an aid shipment to the Gaza strip.
The crew of the relief boat Spirit of Humanity say they were in international waters when taken prisoner by the Israeli navy on Monday.

Aboard the Spirit of Humanity were several prominent people, including Nobel Laureate Mairead Maguire and the Green candidate in last year's US presidential election, Cynthia Mckinney - a former Congresswoman.
The Spirit of Humanity was carrying medical supplies, olive trees and children’s toys for distribution in Gaza in an effort to assist those whose homes and lives had been torn apart by the Israeli bombing campaign and invasion in December and January.

Green Foreign Affairs spokesperson MP Keith Locke has written to the Israeli government in protest.
"It is unacceptable to stop an aid boat, especially if it was in international waters, and it is callous to deny the people of Gaza the humanitarian aid the ship was bringing.

"Yesterday the Red Cross said, in a hard-hitting report, that the two-year blockade of Gaza has left people struggling to survive and that the citizens of Gaza are sliding into despair.

"Thousands of Gazans remain homeless after Israel's 22-day January offensive because Israel won't allow in the materials to rebuild their destroyed homes,” said Mr Locke.

"New Zealand should support the call this month by key United Nations agencies and NGOs for an end to Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip, which is bringing such suffering to nearly 1.5 million people."

Link to UN call for end to blockade of Gaza:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=31174&Cr=gaza&Cr1
Link to the Red Cross report on Gaza
http://www.icrc.org/web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/htmlall/palestine-report-260609