A ship loaded with food and medicine commissioned by Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi will set sail for Gaza from a Greek port on Friday, with officials saying one of the Libyan leaders' sons will be on board the vessel. The Moldavian-flagged, Greek-owned cargo ship "Amalthia" will depart from the eastern port of Lavrio, some 65 kilometres south-east by Saturday, a crew member on board the vessel told the German Press Agency dpa.
An official said 12 crew and 15 activists and supporters would be on board the cargo ship, which was loaded with about "2,000 tons of humanitarian aid" supplied by the Gaddafi International Charity and Development Association. The aid included sacks of sugar, corn and rice which had been donated by Greek organisations and companies. The activists wanted to express their solidarity with the Palestinian people, the official said. Diplomatic sources in Jerusalem said one of Gaddafi's son's would be on board the ship.
The Gaddafi International Charity and Development Association is headed by Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi, the second-born son of the Libyan leader. Eight Turkish nationals and one US citizen of Turkish descent were killed in May after Israeli commandoes boarded their aid ship which was heading to Gaza, sparking a diplomatic row between Turkey and Israel.