Syria Calls For Emergency Meeting To Discuss Israel's Blockade On Aid Flotilla

DAMASCUS, May 31 (Bernama) -- Syria on Monday called for an emergency meeting of Arab League to discuss Israel's blockade on Gaza-bound aid ships "Freedom Fleet", the official Syrian news agency SANA reported.

The meeting was called after some 16 people were killed and 30 others wounded on Monday when Israeli naval commandos boarded aid ships bound for the Gaza Strip, meeting resistance from pro-Palestinian activists.

The six-ship convoy carrying aid for Palestinians and led by a Turkish vessel with 700 people on board set sail for Gaza from international waters off Cyprus on Sunday in defiance of an Israeli-led blockade of the Gaza Strip and and warnings that it would be intercepted.

The flotilla was organised by pro-Palestinian groups and a Turkish human rights organization. Turkey had urged Israel to allow it safe passage and said the 10,000 tonnes of aid the convoy was carrying was humanitarian.

Israel had said it would prevent the convoy from reaching the Gaza Strip, which is run by the Islamist Hamas group.

It was not clear whether the clashes were taking place on just one of the six boats making up the aid convoy, and the Israeli army had no immediate comment on the incident.

Shortly afterwards, the Israeli military censor ordered a block on all information regarding those injured or killed during the storming of the ship.

Many world leaders condemned the attack, urging the Secretary-General of the U.N., Ban Ki-moon, to shoulder his responsibilities to protect the safety of the solidarity groups who were on board these ships and to secure their way to Gaza.

This is the ninth time that the Free Gaza movement has tried to ship in humanitarian aid to Gaza since August 2008.

Israel has let ships through five times, but has blocked them from entering Gaza waters since a three-week military offensive against Gaza's Hamas rulers in January 2009. The flotilla bound for Gaza is the largest to date.

Israel imposed the blockade on Gaza after Hamas militants violently seized control of the seaside territory in June 2007.