US Warns Lebanon: Don't Send Flotilla To Gaza

The United States has warned Lebanon to steer clear of the current effort by various elements to escalate tensions with Israel by attempting to violate its maritime sovereignty over Gaza waters.

In a statement issued Wednesday, the U.S. State Department urged Lebanon to “behave responsibly” and not to try to send aid to the Hamas terrorist-ruled Gaza region by sea.

Instead, organizers who are planning an “aid flotilla” similar to the one sponsored last month by the terror-linked Turkish organization IHH, were told to send their aid via the approved overland routes.

The Beirut-based group said that one of the two boats it plans to send to Gaza from Lebanon has already received approval from the government to set sail for Cyprus.

In order to reach Gaza, however, the boats must also receive approval from the Cypriot authorities prior to departure from their local port. But organizers said they might avoid this problem by simply changing course on their way to Cyprus and heading directly for Gaza.

“Direct delivery by sea is neither appropriate nor responsible, and certainly not effective under the circumstances,” the U.S. statement said. “We, along with our partners in the Quartet, urge all those wishing to deliver goods to do so through established channels so that their cargo can be inspected and transferred via land crossings into Gaza.”

The Quartet – comprised of the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations – has repeatedly called on Hamas to officially recognize Israel's right to exist, renounce violence and uphold prior agreements.

“There is no need for unnecessary confrontations, and we, along with our partners in the Quartet, call on all parties to act responsibly in meeting the needs of the people of Gaza,” the statement continued.

More