The European Campaign to End the Gaza Siege (ECEGS)has criticized calls by UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon to thwart a Gaza aid flotilla, dubbed Freedom Flotilla 2, set to deliver humanitarian aid late this June in defiance of Israel's illegal siege on the Gaza Strip.

It is the fifth straight year that Israel has tightened its blockade on the tiny coastal enclave with a population of 1.5 million.

Ki-moon has deployed official messages to countries overlooking the Mediterranean Sea that have citizens who will take part in the aid mission, calling on them to use their influence to help stop the ships before they set sail to Gaza in order to avoid a potential conflict.

The European campaign, a chief organizer of the flotilla, expressed surprise over the recent calls, given that he heads the UN Security Council which issued two decisions in 2008 and 2009 unambiguously demanding that Israel end the Gaza siege.

The flotilla is a civil and humanitarian movement, the campaign argued in an official statement, adding that international law does not require silence over the illegal siege.

It also called for application of conventions calling for an end to Israel's aggression and its use of violence in dealing with civil flotillas.

The campaign said 12 European countries will take part in the mission, including several European parliamentarians and hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists.

Zaher Birawi, the media spokesperson of the international campaign said that the duty of the UN secretary general is to encourage all international efforts to break the siege , and to provide an international coverage and protection , including the Freedom Flotilla 2 ,instead of hindering them.

Birawi added that the secretary general will be accountable for any risk that endanger the fleet by the occupation forces, noting that Ban Ki moon’s call is a kind of coverage from the international organization to urge them attacking the flotilla.

He also explained that the international organizations participating in the freedom flotilla are ready for any inspection measures by a UN committee to ensure that the cargo of the ships to ensure that they are humanitarian relief that dose not threat anybody.

Worth to mention that The European campaign to end the Gaza siege is headed by Dr.Salim Al-Hoss, the former Lebanese Prime Minister, and it’s a member in the higher coordination committee of Freedom Flotilla, in addition of containing a big number of national institutions and campaigns, from more than 25 countries, aiming at breaking the siege of Gaza.

AB