ATHENS, July 3, 2011 (WAFA) – Freedom Flotilla 2, the international humanitarian aid fleet, will try to sail toward the Gaza Strip on Monday despite the Greek decision to ban it, said a report issued by the European Campaign to End the Siege on Gaza on Sunday.

The campaign, one of the main founders of the Freedom Flotilla coalition, said that the Freedom Flotilla 2 fleet in Athens will make its best efforts to sail toward Gaza on Monday “despite the Greek ban, which lacks any legal or moral grounds, violates individuals’ right to freedom of movement and  represents a response to Israeli pressures.”

The campaign said the coalition has nine ships now after the sabotage of the Irish ship in Athens by an unknown party believed to be involved with Israeli intelligence (Mossad). It also noted that one of the Flotilla ships is French and is docked in a port outside of Athens.

It added that it is working on two different levels to ensure the success of Flotilla 2. The first is in communicating with Greek parties and activists to pressure their government to end this ban, which the campaign considered as a participation in the siege of almost two million Palestinians, particularly since the Greek people are known for their support of Palestinians.

At the second level, the campaign is moving to take judicial action, where the coalition is working with a group of well-known lawyers to revoke the Greek decision.

The campaign stressed that the prevention of Freedom Flotilla 2 from sailing to Gaza will not stop its efforts until the end of the siege and occupation.

The Greek coast guard had last Friday stormed a Canadian boat named “Tahrir” (liberation), one of the Flotilla 2 ships, to prevent it from sailing to Gaza after the Greek ban was issued. Greek officials also intercepted the Flotilla’s American ship to stop it from sailing to Gaza, stopping it twenty minutes after its setting sail from one of the Greek ports.

T.R./F.J.