Bogor, West Java (ANTARA News) - Medical Emergency Rescue Committee (MER-C) Indonesia has joined the Freedom Flotilla to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza.

The ship convoy is carrying 10,000 tons of supplies such as medicines, medical equipment, building materials, school equipment, and power generators, to Gaza," chairman of the MER-C Indonesia presidium Dr Sarbini Abdul Murad, told ANTARA Monday morning.

Sponsored by the Turkish humanitarian organization, Insani Yardim Vakfi (IHH), the ships will carry 600 passengers from around 50 countries, to Gaza in an effort to break through the Israeli blockade.

It joins eight other ships coming from three other countries.

The ships will meet in the Mediterranean, then turn toward Gaza to arrive at its besieged slice of beach front by the end of May.

The Free Gaza Movement`s "MV Rachel Corrie" is already on her way from Ireland and is presently off the coast of Portugal loaded with cement, paper and supplies for school children and medical equipment.

The ship is named after the late Rachel Aliene Corrie, 24, an American member of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) who was killed by a bulldozer operated by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) while attempting to prevent IDF forces from demolishing the home of local Palestinian pharmacist Samir Nasrallah.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition is comprised of Free Gaza Movement (FG), European Campaign to End the Siege of Gaza (ECESG), Insani Yardim Vakfi (IHH), Ship to Gaza Greece, Ship to Gaza Sweden, and the International Committee to Lift the Siege on Gaza, with hundreds of groups and organizations around the world supporting the effort.

The convoy will proceed to international waters toward Gaza. je said.

"The flotilla`s participants are very aware of what they are doing, and they will not violate any law," Sarbini Abdul Murad.

The five-member team of MER-C arrived in Istanbul on May 20, 2010. They are Nur Fitri Moeslim Taher as the team`s leader, dr Arief Rachman, Abdillah Onim, Nur Ikhwan Abadi, and Muhammad Yasin.

Bulent Yildirim, President of IHH, said recently "As a requirement of international laws, 12 miles off the shores belong to the territorial waters of countries. It applies to Israel as well. Our flotilla will be sailing 80 miles off of Israeli coast. We will never enter Israeli waters. We will take a 90 degrees turn just before entering the Egyptian territorial waters. Therefore, Israel have no right to claim `They have entered our territorial waters. They have no authority there. If they decide to attack us regardless of this fact, then, there is no difference left between Israel and the pirates of Somalia."

Earlier, John Ging, Head of United Nation`s Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in the Gaza Strip since 2006, said, "We recommend the world send ships to the shores of Gaza, and we believe that Israel would not stop these vessels because the sea is open, and many human rights organizations have been successful in previous similar steps, and proved that breaking the siege on Gaza is possible."

Freedom Flotilla is the biggest attempt by international aid groups to break the Israeli siege on the Gaza Strip, which have caused Gaza`s residents to suffer, including from hungry. Israel announced that it would bar the boats from landing.
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Editor: Bambang
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