A ship commissioned by a Libyan state charity organization made preparations Friday to set sail to Gaza from Greece loaded with aid. It comes over a month after Israel raided Gaza-bound aid ships, killing eight Turks and a Turkish-American on May 31. The flotilla was trying to break Israel's blockade on Gaza. The Moldova-flagged cargo ship Amalthea will leave by Saturday from the port of Lavrio, south of Athens, carrying 2,000 tons of food and medical supplies, officials from the organization said. There will be 27 people on board. Amalthea's journey to Gaza is expected to take up to 80 hours. Aid on the Amalthea includes sacks of rice and sugar, and corn oil and olive paste – all mostly donated from Greek companies and charities, organizers said. The aid was loaded into the hull of the aging vessel by crane. “I am scared, but our lives are in God's hands,” head volunteer Adburaufel Jaziri said. “Our job is to help anyone who needs it. We don't care if they are Catholics or Muslims or whatever. Now we are helping the people of Gaza who are suffering.” Israel “can check our cargo and certificates, of course they are free to do this,” Jaziri said. “If we cannot deliver the aid, we will let (Israel) deliver it.” In addition to 15 volunteers – all from Libyan except for a Nigerian and one Moroccan – the ship has a crew of 12. – AP from Cuba, Haiti, India, and Syria. The head of the Gadhafi International Charity and Development Foundation said the people of Gaza are facing a “humanitarian catastrophe” unless they receive urgent aid. “We call on the international community to support this initiative,” Youdsef Rawani said. “If swift and urgent help is not given there will be tragic consequences for the people of Gaza.” Israel's deadly raid in May provoked international outrage. Israel says its naval commandos were acting in self-defense after being attacked by pro-Palestinian activists. Five ships were commandeered without incident, but some of the 600 activists on board the Mavi Marmara, owned by a Turkish Islamic charity, actively resisted, and the soldiers opened fire.
