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Lebanese Aid Ship to Sail to Gaza


The organizers of a Lebanese aid voyage say they will set sail Sunday on a trip designed to break Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip.

Israel has warned against the journey by the ship, named the Mariam. The organizers of the mission say those on board will be women only.

Israel came under harsh international criticism after it launched a deadly raid in May on a flotilla of aid ships trying to break the Gaza blockade. Nine Turkish activists were killed.

Israel eased its land blockade in response to the outrage, but kept the sea blockade in force. Israeli officials say the measure is necessary to prevent Hamas militants and supporters from smuggling weapons into Gaza.

Some information for this report was provided by AP and AFP.

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