RELATED:S. Africa reinstates envoy to IsraelReport: Israel holds flotilla shipsAnalysis: Anatomy of an ongoing crisisTwo ships are expected to depart Tripoli on either Friday or Saturday to try and break the blockade. One of the ships is carrying women and the other is carrying journalists.“They want to purposely create a provocation,” one defense official said. “These are also relatively fast ships which means that once they leave, they will be near Gaza fairly quickly.”The heightened alert in Israel over the possible arrival of the vessels, according to diplomatic officials, follows comments Kashlak has made in the Lebanese press over the last few days to the effect that everything is in place for the flotilla to set sail.Diplomatic officials, however, pointed to certain legal problems in Lebanon that have not yet been overcome, such as the Lebanese law prohibiting ships to set sail from Lebanese ports for “occupied territory,” which in this case also means Gaza.As such, the officials said, the ships would have to set sail for another port and from there to Gaza. Last month, Cyprus banned vessels heading to Gaza from docking in its port and as a result, the ships will need to search for an alternative port, reportedly in Turkish Cyprus.Not only is the navy on heightened alert, the officials said, but diplomatic messages have been passed through third countries with influence on Lebanon not to allow the flotilla to proceed. Israel has also made clear that it will not let the vessels break the blockade.
Navy braces for Lebanese flotilla
A ship with women, journalists ready to sail from Tripoli.
RELATED:S. Africa reinstates envoy to IsraelReport: Israel holds flotilla shipsAnalysis: Anatomy of an ongoing crisisTwo ships are expected to depart Tripoli on either Friday or Saturday to try and break the blockade. One of the ships is carrying women and the other is carrying journalists.“They want to purposely create a provocation,” one defense official said. “These are also relatively fast ships which means that once they leave, they will be near Gaza fairly quickly.”The heightened alert in Israel over the possible arrival of the vessels, according to diplomatic officials, follows comments Kashlak has made in the Lebanese press over the last few days to the effect that everything is in place for the flotilla to set sail.Diplomatic officials, however, pointed to certain legal problems in Lebanon that have not yet been overcome, such as the Lebanese law prohibiting ships to set sail from Lebanese ports for “occupied territory,” which in this case also means Gaza.As such, the officials said, the ships would have to set sail for another port and from there to Gaza. Last month, Cyprus banned vessels heading to Gaza from docking in its port and as a result, the ships will need to search for an alternative port, reportedly in Turkish Cyprus.Not only is the navy on heightened alert, the officials said, but diplomatic messages have been passed through third countries with influence on Lebanon not to allow the flotilla to proceed. Israel has also made clear that it will not let the vessels break the blockade.