PARIS, May 10, 2011 (WAFA) – The international steering committee of Freedom Flotilla 2 announced Tuesday that the sailing of the Flotilla to the Gaza Strip will be postponed till late June.

The committee explained in a meeting last night that postponing the sail of Freedom Flotilla 2 was to include Turkish activists who had said they wanted to leave after Turkey’s June 12 parliamentary elections.

Freedom Flotilla 2 will have around 15 vessels and over 1,000 activists from about 50 countries and will depart from various European ports, including Marseille, France, according to the committee.

Israel has raised the possibility of using force against any convoy, alleging that it would endanger Israel’s security.

The steering committee has rejected Israel’s continuous threats against it and called on the EU and all governments involved in Freedom Flotilla 2 to protect the Flotilla from any Israeli attacks.

The first Flotilla was attacked by Israeli forces in 2010, leaving nine activists dead on a Turkish boat as they were trying to break the Israeli blockade imposed on Gaza since 2008.

T.R./F.J.