A senior Israeli Navy official stated that the Israeli Navy has recently stepped-up its cooperation with the Lebanese Navy in an attempt to prevent solidarity ships from reaching Gaza Strip through “Israeli territorial waters”.

The official stated that should any ship sail 400 meters close to Israeli coasts, the Israeli Navy will contact its Lebanese counterpart, and the latter will prevent the ships from approaching "Israeli waters", Israeli daily, Haaretz, reported Wednesday.

Haaretz added that the Israeli Navy will conduct, in the coming few days, drills that aim at countering all solidarity activities, including the possibility of solidarity flotillas heading to the Gaza Strip on the Nakba day, May 15, marking the massive exile of Palestinians in historic Palestine, in 1948, and the destruction of their towns and villages before "the state of Israel" was established, and the Naksa Day, June 4 1967, when Israel occupied the rest of Palestine (West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, also the Syrian Heights).

The Israeli Navy equipped itself with several tools including stun gas grenades, and prepared itself to prevent the ships from approaching "Israeli territorial waters".

Earlier this month, Swedish solidarity activists announced they intend to launch a solidarity convoy by the end of this year to deliver humanitarian supplies to the besieged Gaza Strip, and to challenge Israel’s illegal blockade on the coastal region.

IMEMC/AB