Mahmoud Ahmadi-Beighash, a member of the Iranian parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, told the Iranian Student News Agency that MPs preferred to set sail to Gaza as opposed to an alternative land passage via Egypt, criticizing Cairo's stance toward the coastal strip.
"A ship is going from Lebanon to Gaza this week and the lawmakers are following up to go to Gaza via this ship," he said, adding that the latest aid ship had also been threatened by Israel, according to the Iranian news network Press TV.
Ahmadi-Beigash, who heads the four-member delegation, said, "Egypt is seeking to save face by allowing delegations to pass through the Rafah crossing," to make up for controversially keeping its sole border with the densely-populated coastal strip clamped during the three-week Israeli siege in December 2008-January 2009.
Last week, Lebanon granted permission to a Paris-registered ship, the Julia, set to sail via Cyprus to Gaza, carrying only women activists. The voyage was christened "Miriam," in honor of the virgin Mary, organizers said.
"Israel has announced that any ship sailing from Lebanon and Iran would be deemed as a warship and the regime's army would intervene, but we aim to enter Gaza via this route while keeping other options in mind," Ahmadi-Beigash was quoted as saying.
Iranian ships will not sail
According to the Iranian news network, last week, a Red Crescent official announced that Iranian ships with aid supplies were to set sail for Gaza on 27 June, with an aid cargo of 1,200 tons including food and appliances.
However, on Friday, Israeli media reported that the Iranian ships would not set sail. Israeli daily Haaretz said organizers with an unnamed group called off the voyage following Israeli threats, adding that the ships were getting ready to leave on Sunday, while the online news site Ynet quoted an unnamed member of the Iranian parliament as saying a different boat, carrying four of the country's lawmakers among other nationals, would set sail from turkey instead.
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