“The first truckloads of the Turkish flotilla cargo entered Gaza yesterday,” it said in a statement. “The United Nations is working on distributing those goods to appropriate beneficiaries,” it said. “The rest of the cargo is scheduled to enter Gaza in the weeks ahead.”
Israeli commandos boarded ships in the flotilla as it headed towards the Gaza Strip on May 31. The ships and cargo were taken to an Israeli port and the aid is being taken to Gaza overland.
Under pressure to investigate the incident, Israel launched an inquiry with two international observers. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is pushing for a separate UN investigation with both Israeli and Turkish participation.
Israel says its blockade of Gaza is necessary to prevent weapons from reaching Islamist militants. In response to Western criticism, including from its biggest ally the United States, Israel has recently eased the land blockade of Gaza where 1.5 million Palestinians live, allowing most civilian goods through, while continuing to enforce a naval embargo along the coast.
