Aid convoy heads for Palestinians

Pro-Palestinian activists vowed to press ahead and break an Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip yesterday by sending a convoy of aid ships despite Israeli threats to stop it.

Eight ships, including four cargo vessels and a Turkish passenger ferry carrying 600 people, were heading towards Gaza in defiance of a three-year Israeli closure.

"We are planning on going. This is not going to stop us," said Greta Berlin, of the Free Gaza Movement. The boats are likely to converge east of Cyprus, probably later today, before heading to Gaza.