The family of Oron Shaul, an Israeli soldier whose body is being held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, arrived Sunday morning at the Kerem Shalom border crossing, planning to block trucks transferring the aid from Turkey into Gaza.
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A report released on Friday by the so-called Quartet – United States, European Union, United Nations and Russian Federation – called on Israel to stop its policy of building settlements on occupied land and restricting Palestinian development.
Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority that governs the West Bank, expressed satisfaction over the agreement too, according to Reuters.
The Lady Leyla docked at the Ashdod Port in southern Israel after embarking on Friday from Turkey’s southern port of Mersin.
Turkey’s first humanitarian aid ship reached at Israel’s sea port for Palestine today on Monday, Aaj news reported. He said the agreement reflects his country’s role of protecting oppressed people in the middle east, Haaretz reported.
The Panama-flagged ship carrying 10,000 toys and 10,000 packages of food and aid to be delivered to children in Gaza via the Israeli port of Ashdod.
Part of the deal agreed on 27 June was that Israel would allow Turkey to send aid to Gaza and carry out infrastructure projects there. But UN officials have called for it to be lifted, citing deteriorating conditions in the territory.
Israel rendered an apology and will also pay $20 million in compensation to a special fund dedicated to the families of the victims killed by the IDF soldiers. Shaul’s family, as well as the families of other Israelis missing in Gaza, attempted to pressure the prime minister to include the release of their sons in the agreement with Turkey.
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In 2010, relations between Turkey and Israel imploded when an Israeli naval raid killed nine Turks on board an aid ship trying to breach Israel’s blockade of the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. Leaders of Hamas and those familiar with the party told Al-Monitor they realize the deal Israel and Turkey struck was the furthest accommodation Israel would make to lifting the blockade.
