UN says aid to Gaza should be delivered by land

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UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations said Friday that groups seeking to deliver aid to Gaza should do so by land, after Israel warned it would intercept two ships seeking to break a blockade of the Palestinian enclave.

"There are established routes for supplies to enter by land. That is the way aid should be delivered to the people of Gaza," UN spokesman Martin Nesirky told a press briefing.

"Our stated preference has been and remains that aid should be delivered by established routes, particularly at a sensitive time in indirect proximity (peace) talks between Palestinians and Israelis," he added.

He made the comments after Israel served notice its forces would prevent a planned Lebanese aid flotilla from reaching the Gaza Strip.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jAdN25_kLyw4mSJ_57umHQj-LZwQ

[oberliner]

1. Hamas slams UN over aid deliveries

Hamas has said the United Nations call for aid groups to send supplies to the Gaza strip over-land rather than by sea amounts to "collaboration with the Israeli occupier".

"The UN call to international organisations to use the over-land road to Gaza instead of the sea is unacceptable and illegal," Sami Abu Zahri, a Hamas spokesman, said on Saturday.

On Friday, the UN said groups delivering aid to Gaza should send it over land, after Israel warned that it would continue to intercept ships trying to break its naval blockade of the Palestinian enclave.

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/07/2010724131734805626.html