Turkey Sends Second Aid Ship to Gaza

Turkey is planning to send its second humanitarian aid ship to the Gaza Strip since the signing of the reconciliation agreement with Israel, Globes reported on Thursday.

The ship is scheduled to leave Turkey next month with a 5,000-ton cargo of flour, sugar, rice, seeds, toys, clothing, diapers and more.

It is believed that the ship will arrive in Ashdod on September 9.

Coordination of the transport has already gotten under way between the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the IDF, and Ashdod Port and the Turkish authorities in Ankara.

The goods are to be unloaded at Ashdod Port, and following security checks, will be sent on to the Gaza Strip in trucks. The procedure follows that of the Lady Leyla, which was the first Turkish vessel carrying aid to Gaza — some 10,000 tons — early this month, after the reconciliation.

Israel rejected Turkish demands for a lifting of the navy blockade of the Hamas-ruled enclave, and in the end Ankara agreed to the new arrangement, which enables Israel to carefully supervise the aid shipments without compromising security.