TEHRAN: Iran is sending aid ships to blockaded Gaza, state radio said Monday — a move likely to be considered provocative by Israel which accuses Tehran of arming the Palestinian enclave's Hamas rulers.
One ship left port Sunday and another will depart by Friday, loaded with food, construction material and toys, the report said. "Until the end of (Israel's) Gaza blockade, Iran will continue to ship aid," said an official at Iran's Society for the Defense of the Palestinian Nation.
Iran has sent aid to the coastal territory in the past via Egypt. It was not immediately clear if the latest shipments would do the same, or try to dock in Gaza itself.
In January 2009, an Israeli warship approached an Iranian aid boat heading for the Mediterranean territory and told it to leave the area, 70 km from Gaza. The ship went on to Egypt, which borders Gaza, but was refused permission to unload.
Iran lodged a protest over the issue with Egypt, which has a peace agreement with the Jewish state.
Israel has long suspected Iran of supplying weapons to Hamas. Tehran says it only provides moral support to the group.
