Jerusalem:Defying an Israeli blockade,a boat carrying eleven European lawmakers, have arrived in Hamas controlled Gaza Strip today with a tonne of hospital supplies.

It also includes a Pakistani origin Muslim member of Britain s House of Lords, NazirAhmad. Lawmakers from Britain, Ireland, Italy and Switzerland are making the trip to witness the "humanitarian catastrophe" and express support for the coastal territory s 1.5 million people.

Former British cabinet minister, Clare Short, said that she hoped "the trip would generate momentum to end the blockade."

"More and more people are going to say, this is how I m going to show my objection to these breaches of the Geneva Convention and this illegal siege," Short said.

The activists set sail for Gaza yesterday from the post of Larnaca, in Cyprus, on a 20 metre yacht, SS dignity, sponsored by US based, Free Gaza Movement group.

A spokesperson for the movement,Greta Berlin, yesterday said the boat will deliver a tonne of hospital supplies and three medical scanners.

Israel imposed a blockade of Gaza after Hamas violently seized control of the territory in June 2007,and later tightened the sanctions because of daily rocket fire fromthe coastal territoryaimed at the Negev region.

Despite fears that it wouldprevent efforts to sail into the barred territory, Jerusalem has avoided confrontation with activists and said that it woulddecide on a case to case basis.

The blockade enjoys the backing of US and other Western nations that do not recognise Hamas and support the West Bank based Palestinian Authority led by President Mahmoud Abbas.

Egypt has also largely kept its border crossing with Gaza closed.
Source : PTI