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Jewish aid convoy sets sail for Gaza

A relief mission entirely composed of Jewish human rights campaigners has set sail from northern Cyprus to break Israel’s siege of the Gaza Strip.

The activists, who are of Israeli, German, British and American nationalities, departed for the coastal sliver on Sunday, AFP reported.

An organizer, named Richard Kuper, said the activists meant to prove, among other things, that Tel Aviv’s treatment of the Palestinians is not favored by all Jews.

Tel Aviv imposed the siege on Gaza in mid-June 2007, a year after the Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas, was elected to rule the Palestinian territories.

The restrictions have deprived 1.5 million residents in Gaza of food, fuel and other basic life necessities.

Earlier in the year, Israeli commandos attacked the Freedom Flotilla, a Turkish-backed aid convoy carrying aid supplies to Gaza. The assault in international waters killed nine Turkish activists on board the fleet’s lead vessel, MV Mavi Marmara.

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Andy David called the Jewish cause “a provocative joke that isn’t funny.”

Hamas official Yousef Rizka said, “The government has received Jewish activists arriving to Gaza before. The government positively views all attempts to break the siege on Gaza.”

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